Regulatory situation

Mozambique does not have official legislative/regulatory texts governing the practice of traditional medicine, any licensing process for traditional health practitioners, or procedures for the official approval of traditional medical practices and remedies (6). However, in 1991, a proposal was put forward for a three-year programme to establish a foundation for collaboration between the National Health Service and the practitioners of traditional medicine in Mozambique. The proposal suggested that traditional medicine practitioners constitute a separate, parallel, and self-regulating health service that collaborates with the Mozambique Government in the realization of specific public health goals. In this regard, the three-year programme would do the following:

• establish workshops to train traditional medicine practitioners in the treatment of priority diseases;

• establish a research-derived information base about traditional beliefs and practices;

• educate Government health workers at all levels in traditional beliefs and practices;

• coordinate research in traditional medicines, although, due to a tight budget, this research would not be funded by the Government itself.

Collaborative programmes with traditional medicine practitioners also take place under the umbrella of the Department of Health. In addition, there are a number of programmes sponsored by non-governmental organizations, most of which collaborate with either district or provincial health authorities (43).