Ethiopia Creates National Body for Traditional Medicine Groups

Mintesinot Niggusie

Ethiopia has established a national federation bringing together traditional medicine practitioners’ associations from across the country, as authorities seek to improve coordination and modernise the sector.

The Ethiopian Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Associations was formed during a general assembly attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Culture and Sport, representatives of regional associations and other stakeholders.

Delegates representing associations from nine regional states unanimously approved the federation’s draft bylaws following discussions at the assembly. The gathering also elected the federation’s leadership. Mohammed Feti Abdela was elected president, while Mengistu Desta became vice-president. Kemal Kedir was appointed secretary and Hakim Abdul Behrin Hussein was named treasurer.

Abdisa Duguma, Ali Keto Hey and Jemal Ahmed were also elected as board members. The officials later took their oath of office.

Speaking at the event, State Minister of Culture and Sport Nefisa Almahadi said Ethiopia had not sufficiently modernised traditional medicine services due to weak coordination among stakeholders. She said traditional medicine provides substantial benefits to communities and the country, but institutional collaboration aimed at improving the sector had remained limited.

The establishment of the federation comes as Ethiopia and other African countries move to formalise traditional medicine services through stronger regulation, research and institutional coordination.

The World Health Organization estimates that up to 80 percent of Africans rely on traditional medicine for part of their primary healthcare needs, particularly in areas where access to formal healthcare remains limited.

The development also aligns with the World Health Organization’s Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, which encourages countries to integrate evidence-based traditional medicine into national healthcare systems while strengthening practitioner standards and governance.