Higher education: Minister drums incorporation of scientific standards in traditional medicine.

He was speaking while presiding the opening ceremony of the National Symposium on the Enhancement of Cameroonian Traditional Pharmacopoeia. 

It held under the theme: “Enhancement of Traditional Pharmacopoeia: A Strategic Lever for the Promotion of Made in Cameroon”. 

In attendace were teacher-researchers, traditional healers, health professionals, and representatives from several ministries. The participants reflected on mechanisms to enhance the heritage, rich in ancestral knowledge. 

Minister Fame Ndongo disclosed that the symposium was a continuation of the Very High Directives of the President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul Biya, particularly regarding health and the development of national resources. 

He expressed the desire for the discussions to lead to concrete proposals in line with the guidelines which will promote the country’s health sector. 

Prof Fame Ndongo also highlighted the multisectoral dimension of traditional pharmacopoeia, which touches on public health, scientific research and innovation, university teaching and research, industry and commerce. 

The minister insisted on the need to incorporate scientific standards into traditional medicine, notably through the characterisation of active ingredients, determination of dosage, identification of side effects, and compliance with ethical standards. 

The momentum, he noted, comes within a new legal context, marked by the enactment on December 23, 2024, of Law No. 2024/018 regulating the practice and organisation of traditional medicine in Cameroon. 

Speaking at the event, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Prof Ebelle Etamè Rebecca Madeleine, highlighted the potential of traditional pharmacopoeia in promoting Made in Cameroon products and preserving cultural knowledge and values. 

She, on behalf of Minister Madeleine Tchuente, called advocated the strengthening of scientific research, protection of traditional knowledge, and closer integration between traditional and modern medicine. 

Discussions during the ceremony also focused on the development of the pharmaceutical industry, training, research, and entrepreneurship in Cameroonian medicinal plants. 

The proceedings, structured around four main topics, culminated in the formulation of 55 resolutions aimed at strengthening the framework, research, improvement, and integration of traditional pharmacopoeia into national health and development efforts. 

At the end of the ceremony, officials noted that the recommendations given should contribute to turning traditional pharmacopoeia into a lever for promoting Made in Cameroon, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, toward the 2035 emergence vision. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3920 of Friday September 25, 2026