VISION
Fully integration of traditional medicine practice into the health system so as to compliment modern medicine so as to achieve better health for all.
MISSION
To promote the traditional medicine and its integration into the national healthcare system; alleviate poverty by enhancing household incomes through promoting conservation, cultivation, harvesting and trade in medicinal plants and other medicinal resources; contribute to national economic growth through registration, licensing and other revenue collection measures.
GOAL
The Overall goal is to guide and regulate TAM practice while protecting indigenous knowledge, intellectual property, consumer and other rights as well as medicinal resources. The aim is to improve the quality, efficacy, use of TAM and raise capability and efficiency of the TAM practitioners for the better health of the community.
POLICIES
For several years, Traditional and Alternative Medicine has been practiced in Zanzibar without official guidelines to assist Traditional medicine practitioners to perform their activities in accordance to legislation and regulation. Nevertheless, there has been some public awareness on the potential opportunities that could be tapped from the use of TAM and its benefits to the health sector. By formulating this policy, the Ministry of Health has moved in the right direction to recognize and guide TAM practice in the country. It is envisaged that the Policy will optimize the benefits of traditional and alternative medicine practice, its cultivation, harvest, production and marketing to the people of Zanzibar. The integration of Traditional and Alternative medicines into national health care system has the potential to supplement, strengthen and promote better health care for all, in line with the national vision. The implementation of this Policy will require mutual cooperation between different stakeholders within and outside the country. Since traditional medicine uses various natural resources for the preparation of medicinal products, environmental control should be emphasized in order to sustain indigenous plants and other sources of traditional medicine products including indigenous knowledge for the future. The Policy defines the role of TAM in Zanzibar’s health care delivery system and provides a framework for the coordination of activities related to the development of TAM in the private and public sectors. It is my sincere hope that all stakeholders will take their respective responsibilities towards ensuring good traditional and alternative medicine practices in Zanzibar in order to achieve better health for our people.
Thank you very much
