The theme for the launching is to promote and develop traditional medicine in enhancing quality health service.
Modou Njai, Director of Health Promotion, said the launching will serve as a reminder of the importance of traditional medicine.
In The Gambia, currently they have both traditional and alternative medicine, he said, adding that over the years people who were using and benefiting from traditional medicine use to hide; until recently with the involvement of President Yahya Jammeh in trying to help and treat people with different conditions, when it attracted people to come out and tell their about problems.
Without the intervention of the President people with difficulties may have continued hiding, he went on, but because they are treated successfully, they now come out.
He stated that the President’s intervention in treating HIV/AIDS among other conditions is commendable.
Traditional medicine is now high up in the agenda of the government, looking at where it was and the stage it has gotten to, he noted.
100 traditional healers across the country were invited to exhibit on the day, he said, pointing out that the day is also meant to ensure that health workers see traditional medicine as part of the routing activity.
“If conventional medicine fails, the next thing is to look for traditional or alternative medicine,” Njai said.
Traditional medicine works for many people and needs to be promoted, he went on, adding that it was high time for alternative and traditional medicine to be integrated into the conventional medicine.
Buba Darboe, programme head for health communication, said traditional medicine is not something new, adding that it is very important to the Ministry of Health; and based on that the day was set aside.
