Status of Integration of Ethiopian Traditional Medicine with Modern Medicine: Experiences, Challenges and Suggested Solutions
| dc.contributor.advisor | Solomon M. Abay | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mediha Ahmedin | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-11-13T13:16:05Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-11-13T13:16:05Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-02-10 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: Integration of traditional medicine into modern medicine is a process of incorporating traditional medicines, techniques and knowledge into the mainstream healthcare delivery system as well as the exposure of the practitioners of both systems to the philosophies and theories of the systems in order to provide a safe and effective preventive and curative treatment for all with utmost increase in capacity to develop new treatments. Significant numbers of Ethiopians use traditional medicine as a primary or preferred means of healthcare. Assessing the integration status of traditional medicine service, training and research into the Ethiopian primary healthcare system can be a way to assess the country’s progress regarding the issue and lay the basis for an action plan. Objectives: The study aimed to explore the current status of integration of Ethiopian traditional medicine practice, training and research into the mainstream healthcare system and its determinants in Addis Ababa. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted between October and December 2023with key informants selected using key informant sampling method from institutions including the Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa University (Colleges of Health Sciences and Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology), Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, research institutes, traditional healers’ associations and other relevant sectors in Addis Ababa. Qualitative data was categorized using open code software and analyzed thematically. Results: Key informants responded that there are initiatives to integrate traditional medicine into primary healthcare system in Ethiopia through the development of inclusive policy, registration and periodic supervision of traditional healing practitioners and their services, provision of trainings for traditional healers to improve their service and prevent harm from use of traditional medicine, generating evidence for traditional medicine products and practices through research starting from ethnobotanical to pre-clinical validation studies and drug development from TM through clinical trials. These initiatives, however, are hindered by challenges including secrecy, lack of funding and capacity building, lack of communication among traditional healing practitioners and modern health practitioners, lack of interest of youth to become healers and lack of continuity of the research activities to reach implementation level. Conclusion: Findings indicate that there are initiatives to integrate traditional medicine into primary healthcare system in Ethiopia especially through training and research. However, these initiatives are facing numerous challenges. Further research thus needed to identify ways that help tackle such challenges and create a conducive system for integration of traditional medicine into primary healthcare system in order to enhance the benefits of traditional medicine and minimize its shortcomings. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/9632 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Addis Ababa University | |
| dc.subject | Integration | |
| dc.subject | Traditional Medicine | |
| dc.subject | Modern Medicine | |
| dc.subject | Addis Ababa | |
| dc.subject | Ethiopia | |
| dc.title | Status of Integration of Ethiopian Traditional Medicine with Modern Medicine: Experiences, Challenges and Suggested Solutions | |
| dc.type | Thesis |