The Ouagadougou Declaration on Primary Health Care and Health Systems in Africa: Achieving better Health for Africa in the New Millennium

The Ouagadougou Declaration on Primary Health Care and Health Systems in Africa focuses on nine major priority areas: 1) leadership and governance for health; 2) health services delivery; 3) human resources for health; 4) health financing; 5) health information systems; 6) health technologies; 7) community ownership and participation; 8) partnerships for health development; and 9) research for health. This paper describes a framework constructed for implementing the necessary activities in each of these priority areas; and proposes recommendations for consideration by Member States in the development of their own country frameworks. The frameworkfor implementing activities related to health information and research for health which have been taken into account in the Algiers Framework are discussed separately elsewhere in this issue

An Overview of the Traditional Medicine Situation in the African Region

"WHO estimates that about 80of the population in developing countries depends on traditional medicine for their Primary Health Care (PHC) needs. Traditional medicine and its practitioners were officially recognized by the Alma Ata Declaration in 1978 as important resources for achieving Health for All. Since then; member states and WHO governing bodies have adopted a number of resolutions and declarations on traditional medicine. Notable among these are resolution on ""Promoting the role of traditional medicine in health systems: A Strategy for the African Region"" adopted by the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Ouagadougou; Burkina Faso; in 2000 and the declaration on the Decade of African Traditional Medicine (2001-2010) by the Heads of State and government in Lusaka in 2001. This article will focus on the achievements of countries in the implementation of the priority interventions of the Regional strategy since its adoption in 2000. The article will also cover the challenges countries are facing in implementing the Regional strategy and propose the way forward."

Regulation of Traditional Medicine in the WHO African Region

In many developing countries traditional medicine is still the main source of health care for about 80of the population; because of its cultural acceptability; affordability and accessibility. In the last few years; there has also been an upsurge of interest in the use of traditional medicine in developed countries; where it is usually referred to as complementary and alternative medicine. Owing to countries' efforts to institutionalize traditional medicine in health systems and calls made by the WHO Regional Office for Africa over the last two decades; more than half of the countries in the African Region have developed national policies on traditional medicine and regulation is one of the components of such policies. Eighteen countries have developednational codes of ethics to ensure the safety; efficacy and quality of traditional medicines. However; less than half of the countries are yet to implement these policies and therefore; only a few countries have developed regulations for traditional medicine. Twenty-one countries have developed legal frameworks that provide for accreditation; registration of traditional health practitioners (THPs) and the establishment of a THP Council for regulation of traditional medicine practice and products. Non-regulation of traditional and herbal medicines poses a health risk to the populations. This paper discusses the regulation of traditional medicine practices and products; and highlights the challenges posed by attempts to regulate the sector. It also outlines quality; safety and efficacy assessment; product registration; marketing; distribution and post-marketing surveillance