By Nii Martey M. Botchway
Accra, Sept. 03, GNA – The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has urged media houses to verify the licences of traditional medicine practitioners before advertising their services and products.
The Council said the directive formed part of efforts to curb the proliferation of unwholesome, fake and unlicensed herbal products being promoted through radio, television and print media.
Speaking at a media launch to commemorate African Traditional Medicine Day, Dr (MH) Yakubu Tobor Yusuf, Registrar of the TMPC, said media houses had an important role to play in ensuring that advertisements aired or published on their platforms complied with the country’s regulatory requirements.
He said verifying the licences of practitioners before accepting their advertisements would help prevent unqualified persons and unregistered practitioners from using the media to promote products and services that could endanger public health.
Dr Yusuf explained that the verification process had been made easier through a Quick Response (QR) code embedded on certificates issued to licensed practitioners.
He said media houses could scan the QR code on a practitioner’s certificate to confirm its authenticity and determine whether the certificate was valid before granting advertisement slots.
“This would help media houses to distinguish between licensed practitioners and those operating outside the regulatory framework,” he said.
Dr Yusuf said the Council was intensifying its monitoring and enforcement activities across the country to ensure that traditional medicine practitioners complied with registration and licensing requirements.
He said the Council had identified more than 100,000 traditional medicine practitioners nationwide, but less than 20 per cent were currently captured in its database.
He said the Council had also intensified engagements with practitioners and their associations at the district level and visited more than 500 premises as part of its monitoring exercise.
Dr Yusuf said some practitioners operating without the required licences had been closed down, while those with minor compliance issues had been given the opportunity to regularise their operations.
He cautioned media houses against becoming channels for the promotion of unapproved herbal products, particularly those making unsubstantiated claims about their ability to treat or cure diseases.
He said products requiring approval and certification would be referred to the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for the necessary regulatory action.
The Registrar further warned that some herbal products on the market had been found to contain undeclared pharmaceutical substances, posing serious risks to consumers.
He said the Council would continue to collaborate with relevant institutions and stakeholders to remove unsafe products from the market and enforce the laws governing traditional medicine practice.
Dr Yusuf urged media houses to support the regulatory effort by making licence verification a requirement before accepting advertisements from traditional medicine practitioners.
He also urged the public to patronise only licensed traditional medicine practitioners and approved traditional medicines to protect their health.
GNA
Nii Martey M. Botchway
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong