NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 25 — Kenya is hosting a regional forum on Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM), bringing together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and innovators from across the East African Community (EAC).
The two-day event, officially opened by Health CS Aden Duale, is themed “Strengthening the Policy and Regulatory Framework for the Integration of TCIM into National Health Systems of EAC Countries.”
Discussions focused on integrating safe, evidence-based traditional medicine into national healthcare systems to complement modern medicine.
CS Duale emphasized Kenya’s structured approach to embedding traditional medicine within the national health agenda, anchored in policy development, research frameworks, and the creation of a practitioner handbook to guide safe and ethical practice.
“The integration of TCIM strengthens primary healthcare, expands preventive services, and accelerates progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC),” Duale said, noting alignment with the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034.
The forum addressed challenges including gaps in legal frameworks, variability in product quality, and uneven regulation of practitioners.
Strenthening collaboration
CS Duale stressed that diversity in regulatory maturity across countries should strengthen collaboration rather than divide participants.
Key stakeholders included Principal Secretary Dr Ouma Oluga, WHO Representative Dr Neema Kimambo, Dr Pradeep Kumar from the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, and Dr Tido Schoen-Angerer of the TCIH Coalition.
Discussions explored harmonized regulation, cross-sector collaboration, and research-driven TCIM integration strategies.
A regional TCIM network is expected to further harmonize standards and support partnerships across the EAC.
Actionable recommendations from the forum will guide the implementation of culturally grounded and safe health systems, ensuring patient safety and promoting sustainable, inclusive healthcare practices.
“The success of this forum will be measured not by the quality of our speeches, but by the strength of the frameworks we build and the partnerships we sustain,” Duale noted.
This initiative marks a major step toward creating integrated, evidence-based traditional medicine systems across East Africa, supporting both national health priorities and global commitments under the WHO framework.
