Traditional medicine in Cameroon: Parliament committed to better structuring the sector.

The promotion of the national therapeutic heritage and the achievement of regulatory compliance were the focus of a national workshop held at the National Assembly, themed "Assessing the State of Traditional Medicine Following the Promulgation of Law No. 2024/018 of December 23, 2024: Lessons from the Experience of Traditional Chinese Medicine."

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‎The initiative was led by the Parliamentary Network for the Promotion of Health and the Valorization of Traditional Medicine (REPPROSAN), under the guidance of the Honorable Germain Mengue Mezui, in collaboration with the firm SHINEAWAY. The workshop was chaired by the Vice-President of the National Assembly, the Honorable Mary Muyali Meboka.

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‎The meeting aimed to examine the challenges surrounding the implementation of the law and to formulate proposals to accelerate the regulation and professionalization of the sector.

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‎A key point of discussion was the need to expedite the publication of the law’s implementing regulations. Participants also recommended extending the transition period from 24 to 36 months—until December 2027—to allow traditional practitioners sufficient time to regularize their status and meet the new regulatory requirements.

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‎Furthermore, the workshop advocated for stronger oversight of traditional practitioners through a national census, professional recognition, continuous training, quality control, and the certification of "improved" traditional medicines.

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‎Finally, the development of local production and access to international markets were highlighted as significant economic drivers. Notably, there was a call to allocate a budget of one billion CFA francs to the traditional medicine sector within the 2028 Finance Act.