Dar es Salaam — At least 10,000 out of the 75,000 traditional herbalists and alternative health practitioners estimated to operate in the country had been registered by the government until the end of the year.
The Registrar of the Alternative Health Practices Council of Tanzania (AHPCT), Ms Mboni Bakari, said yesterday that some 400 herbalists have also submitted their registration forms following the recent government directive to all healers do so.
Last week, the government issued a 14-day ultimatum last week to traditional healers and alternative health practitioners who advertised their herbs in the media, to submit their registration documents and the herbs they dispensed to their patients, for inspection.
As the clock ticks towards the end of the ultimatum, some of the herbalists who were not in government records have shown interest in seeking registration, the AHPCT registrar revealed yesterday.
“Up to now, more than 400 forms are awaiting review and possible registration in my office,” revealed Ms Bakari in an interview with a local television station, Azam TV yesterday.
Ms Bakari did not mention anything about those who may have obeyed the government’s inspection order but the herbalists recently rejected the directive at a meeting held in Dar es Salaam and attended by about 100 of them from five regions of the country.
According to the resolutions of their meeting, the herbalists were expected to give the way forward before the end of the ultimatum, which expires this week.