By Maxwell Awumah
Ho, June 26, GNA – Professor Kwame Banga, Director of the Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine (ITAM) of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) said his outfit has a unique mandate to promote community-based health education and integrate Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) into Ghana’s healthcare system.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, Prof Banga said ITAM is positioning itself as a national reference centre for herbal product validation, research translation, and policy support and poised to partner National Vaccine Institute (NVI) and other collaborators to develop traditional medicine for the local market and beyond the borders of Ghana.
He said the Institute is actively promoting public education, awareness, and advocacy to improve the understanding and trust in TCAM practices in collaboration with key national and international stakeholders.
He mentioned them as the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Associations (GHAFTRAM), the Ghana Association of Medical Herbalists (GAMH), the Ministry of Health Traditional Medicine Directorate (TAMD), the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC), the Food and Drug Authority (FDA-Ghana), the World Health Organization (WHO), and research institutions across Africa, Asia, and beyond.
“These partnerships will help us to shape national policy, curriculum development, enhance capacity, and contribute meaningfully to traditional medicine innovation and global medicine agenda.”
The Director emphasised a major milestone in ITAM’s development, which underscores the establishment of the Natural Products Laboratory (NatPro Lab), a state-of-the-art herbal product research and analysis facility by courtesy of the Indian government, which is a gateway to a new era of collaboration and shared knowledge between India and Ghana Traditional Medicine and products.
Prof Banga disclosed that the NatPro Lab is designed to meet WHO and FDA-Ghana standards with the lab offering services such as phytochemical screening, microbial testing, toxicological evaluation, and in-process quality assurance, targeted to solidify ITAM’s role as a regional hub for integrative medicine.
It also supports both academic research and the regulatory needs of traditional medicine producers, and plays a critical role in ITAM’s income generation, innovation, and product development activities.
Prof Banga disclosed that ITAM/UHAS has conducted training for close to 400 Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) in Oti, Volta Regions and some parts of Togo.
“Whether you are a prospective student, practitioner, policy maker, researcher, or a member of the public interested in the future of integrative healthcare, we invite you to explore ITAM. Join us in our mission to bridge tradition and science for a healthier, inclusive, and sustainable future.”
“ITAM remains a bridge, where innovation meets traditional heritage to transform lives,” he said.
GNA
Edited by: Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Maxwell Awumah