African Traditional Medicine: What Can Be Said Responsibly

Africa has many peoples and healing traditions, not one system. What can be said responsibly about their use, regulation, safety and the research that exists.

Content last updated October 22, 2026. This page has not been medically reviewed.

Start here: there is no single "African medicine"

Africa is home to many peoples, languages and healing traditions. A healer in South Africa, a herbalist in Nigeria and a herbalist in Ghana work in different places, with different training, different ideas about illness and different laws. This page therefore stays specific. It describes how the World Health Organization (WHO) talks about traditional medicine in Africa, then points to pages on particular places, practitioners and plants. It is information only and does not replace care from a clinician.

What WHO says about how common it is

WHO defines traditional medicine as the knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences of different cultures, used to maintain health and to prevent, diagnose or treat illness. [1] The WHO Regional Office for Africa says herbal treatments are the most popular form, and that 70% to 80% of people in the region have used a form of it as primary health care. [1] That is a regional figure from WHO; it does not describe any one country or community.

Surveys show that use varies a great deal from place to place. A national South African survey of 3,651 adults (2002 to 2004) found that 9% had consulted a traditional healer. [2] An analysis of household surveys in 32 sub-Saharan countries found that about 2.8% of women who sought care for a child's diarrhea, fever or cough used a traditional medicine practitioner, ranging from 16.3% in Cote d'Ivoire to 0.1% in Sierra Leone. [3] Counting is also hard because "traditional medicine" covers herbalists, diviners, birth attendants, faith healers and home remedies.

Specific traditions on this site

Southern Africa: diviners and herbalists, often called sangomas and inyangas, are covered in Sangomas, Inyangas and traditional health practitioners in South Africa.
West Africa: research programs, regulation and herbal practice in Nigeria, Ghana and Mali are covered in Traditional medicine in West Africa.
Plants: African potato and Hoodia show how a plant moves from community use to a global product. Buchu, rooibos and other South African herbs and Sutherlandia and kanna continue the story.

Traditions mix with other faiths and systems

Healing traditions are not frozen. A study of 18 traditional health practitioners in Johannesburg found that many also worked as faith healers in African Initiated Churches, mixing Western treatments with traditional practices. [4] A scholarly paper on the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria describes how divination with palm kernels and cowries has been partly replaced by divination with a rosary and sand among Muslims, with elements of the older medical tradition kept inside Islamic practice. [5] The point is that each community has its own history.

Some knowledge is restricted

Healers have said that parts of their training are private. A South African author who trained as a sangoma wrote that some of the knowledge is secret and cannot be revealed. [6] This site respects that. It does not describe ceremonies, initiation or sacred practices, and it gives no instructions. For those, speak with community members and practitioner bodies directly. See also how this section describes traditions respectfully.

What research does and does not show

Most research looks at single plants or single questions, not at whole traditions. A few examples that are covered in detail elsewhere:

Question	What the source found	Strength of evidence
Argemone mexicana tea for presumed uncomplicated malaria in Mali	One trial of 301 patients compared it with a standard artemisinin-based drug; 89% on the tea and 95% on the drug did not need second-line treatment over 28 days. [7]	Promising but limited
Hoodia for weight loss	A placebo-controlled trial found no significant difference in food intake or weight, and more side effects. [8]	No good evidence of benefit
African potato for health claims	Reviews report lab and animal findings and ask for more clinical studies. [9]	Preclinical
Traditional frameworks (ancestors, calling, spirit explanations)	These are cultural and spiritual explanations; they are not tested by drug trials.	Traditional use only

Historical use is not proof of safety or benefit. See historical use vs clinical evidence.

Traditional healers and modern health systems, Indigenous and community traditions, and traditional medicine safety and clinical care.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one system called African traditional medicine?

No. Africa has many peoples and healing traditions with different concepts, practitioners and laws. WHO uses "traditional medicine" as a general term for knowledge and practices rooted in different cultures. [1]

How many Africans use traditional medicine?

WHO's Africa office says 70% to 80% of people in its region have used some form, mainly herbal treatments. [1] Individual surveys give very different figures, for example 9% consulting a healer in a South African national survey. [2]

Does African traditional medicine work?

It depends on the specific plant or practice. One Mali trial of an Argemone mexicana tea was promising but limited, while a Hoodia trial found no benefit over placebo. [7][8]

Is it safe to combine with my regular medicines?

Not always. Reviews describe possible herb-drug interactions, mostly from lab studies, so tell your clinician and pharmacist about everything you take. [10]

Are traditional healers regulated?

It depends on the country. South Africa has a registration law, Ghana has a practice council, and Nigeria regulates herbal products through NAFDAC; many places do not regulate practitioners. [12][13][14]

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

Safety

Herbal does not mean harmless. A review of African herbal remedies warns that the belief that they are safe because they are natural can put people at risk, since interactions with other medicines can occur; most of the evidence is from lab studies and human data are lacking. [10]

Delay is a real risk for serious infections. In a study of 133 people starting tuberculosis treatment at a rural South African hospital, those who first visited a traditional healer waited a median of 90 days to start treatment, compared with 21 days for those who went straight to government health services, and 31% versus 12% died. [11] This was a small observational study, so it cannot prove cause, but it shows why prompt testing matters. Never stop or delay prescribed medicines, including HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes or heart treatment, because of a traditional remedy. See African herbs and HIV or AIDS claims.

Regulation differs by country

South Africa has a law on traditional health practitioners (Act 22 of 2007) that sets up a council and registers practitioners. [12] Ghana has a Traditional Medicine Practice Council, created under Act 575 of 2000. [13] In Nigeria, herbal medicines must be registered with the national drug agency NAFDAC (2021 regulations). [14] Elsewhere rules differ, and many practitioners are not regulated. Details are on the country pages above. WHO's wider view is on WHO and traditional medicine worldwide.

When to get conventional care first

See a clinician promptly for chest pain, trouble breathing, severe or sudden symptoms, a cough lasting weeks, fever in a baby or young child, pregnancy concerns, or any long-term condition. In a US emergency call 911; for poisoning call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (other countries: Poison Help by country). Tell your clinician and pharmacist about every remedy you use. [10]

References

World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. Traditional Medicine. Read 2026-10-22.
Sorsdahl K et al. Traditional healers in the treatment of common mental disorders in South Africa. J Nerv Ment Dis 2009. PubMed 19525744 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
James PB et al. Use of traditional medicine practitioner services for childhood illnesses in 32 sub-Saharan African countries. BMC Complement Med Ther 2023. PubMed 37120536 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
Galvin M, Chiwaye L, Moolla A. Religious and medical pluralism among traditional healers in Johannesburg, South Africa. J Relig Health 2024. PubMed 36971902 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
Sanni A. Diagnosis through rosary and sand: Islamic elements in the healing custom of the Yoruba (Nigeria). Med Law 2002. PubMed 12184608 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
Cumes D. South African indigenous healing: how it works. Explore (NY) 2013. PubMed 23294823 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
Graz B et al. Argemone mexicana decoction versus artesunate-amodiaquine for the management of malaria in Mali. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2010. PubMed 19733875 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
Blom WA et al. Effects of 15-d repeated consumption of Hoodia gordonii purified extract on safety, ad libitum energy intake, and body weight in healthy, overweight women: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2011. PubMed 21993434 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
Matyanga CMJ et al. African potato (Hypoxis hemerocallidea): a systematic review of its chemistry, pharmacology and ethno medicinal properties. BMC Complement Med Ther 2020. PubMed 32527245 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
Cordier W, Steenkamp V. Drug interactions in African herbal remedies. Drug Metabol Drug Interact 2011. PubMed 21756221 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
Barker RD et al. Traditional healers, treatment delay, performance status and death from TB in rural South Africa. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2006. PubMed 16776455 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
Government of South Africa. Traditional Health Practitioners Act 22 of 2007 (PDF on gov.za). Read 2026-10-22.
Ghana News Agency. More than 27,000 registered with Traditional Medicine Practice Council (March 2024). Council statement reported by a news agency. Read 2026-10-22.
FAOLEX / UNEP. Herbal Medicine and Related Products (Registration) Regulations 2021, Nigeria (S.I. 77 of 2021). Read 2026-10-22.

Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.