The practice of traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia in Niger: reconciling ancestral knowledge with the requirements of pharmaceutical regulations

Abstract

Traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia have been practiced since antiquity by peoples around the world. In Africa, it occupies a place of choice in the life of the communities where it constitutes their first recourse for their health needs. This place occupied by traditional medicine in the demand for and supply of population health care has aroused major interest in the scientific world and has guided global, regional and community bodies to oversee this practice and optimize complementarity with the conventional medicine through different mechanisms and strategies. Several countries and regional economic communities have taken inspiration from these approaches and have begun a process of institutionalizing traditional medicine. This study proposes to describe the legislative and regulatory system around traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia in Niger and suggests reinforcement mechanisms for an effective integration in health care for a better safety of use of the drugs that come from it. To do this, we have analyzed international strategies and initiatives and identified their influence on national provisions to outline ways to improve the practice, quality and safety of the products used.