Universal Healthcare Through NHI to Integrate Traditional Medicine

Johannesburg: Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has reaffirmed the government's commitment to collaborating with traditional health practitioners as the National Health Insurance (NHI) program is rolled out. Speaking at the African Traditional Medicine Commemorative Day in Mpumalanga, Dr Phaahla emphasized the importance of integrating traditional health practices into the national healthcare framework. According to South African Government News Agency, the World Health Organisation supports the inclusion of traditional health practices in formal medical systems to enhance healthcare accessibility and effectiveness. Dr Phaahla noted that the NHI aims to provide universal access to comprehensive health services, which includes both western and traditional medicine. Dr Phaahla highlighted the reliance of many on traditional health practitioners and stressed the need for cooperation between the health sector and traditional practices to achieve universal health coverage. He acknowledged the ongoing ch allenges related to the regulation and recognition of traditional medicine and called for efforts to resolve these issues. The Deputy Minister also assured traditional medical practitioners of government support in their pursuit of recognition in research concerning traditional medicine. He emphasized the necessity of properly documenting and compensating those who contribute traditional medical products to the mainstream healthcare system.