FDA Ghana Partners Traditional Healers in Northern Ghana to Strengthen Public Health and Herbal Medicine Safety
By JONES NEWS | October 9, 2026
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) Ghana has joined forces with the Northern Ghana Federation of Traditional Healers Association to strengthen public health, improve safety standards and promote regulatory compliance within the traditional medicine sector.
The collaboration was highlighted at an in-service training and capacity-building workshop held on October 8, 2026, at the Ministry block housing the Northern Ghana Federation of Traditional Healers Association alongside the Community Development and Social Welfare offices. The event brought together traditional medicine practitioners to discuss ways of improving the safety, quality and standardisation of herbal healthcare delivery in northern Ghana.
The training focused on key areas including regulatory compliance, hygiene, proper product labelling and accurate dosage. These issues are important because herbal preparations must be handled, prepared, labelled and supplied responsibly to protect consumers from avoidable health risks.
The workshop also gave practitioners an opportunity to raise concerns about the challenges they face in their work, particularly the limited financial and infrastructural support available to some traditional healers in the northern part of the country.
The engagement reflects the importance of cooperation between regulatory institutions and practitioners in ensuring that traditional medicine is practised with appropriate attention to safety, quality and accountability.
FDA and Traditional Healers Join Forces
The partnership between the FDA and the Northern Ghana Federation of Traditional Healers Association is aimed at improving practitioners’ understanding of the requirements governing herbal medicine and healthcare products.
Traditional medicine remains part of healthcare practices in many Ghanaian communities. For some people, traditional healers are familiar figures who provide advice and herbal preparations based on local knowledge and longstanding practices.
However, familiarity and tradition alone cannot guarantee that every preparation is safe, correctly labelled or suitable for a particular user. Training and effective regulation are therefore important for helping practitioners understand their responsibilities and identify practices that may put consumers at risk.
The workshop provided a platform for strengthening communication between regulators and traditional healers while encouraging practitioners to pay closer attention to standards that govern the preparation and distribution of herbal products.
The FDA’s involvement is consistent with its wider mandate to protect public health by ensuring the safety, quality and efficacy of regulated products, including medicines and related healthcare products. The Authority has also conducted training programmes elsewhere in Ghana to improve herbal medicine registration, labelling and manufacturing practices. .
Training Focuses on Hygiene, Labelling and Dosage
One of the central issues addressed during the workshop was the need for better hygiene and responsible handling of herbal preparations.
The cleanliness of the environment in which products are prepared, stored and packaged can affect their quality. Poor handling and storage may expose products to contamination or deterioration, potentially creating risks for people who use them.
For this reason, practitioners need to understand the importance of maintaining hygienic working environments, using appropriate containers and protecting preparations from contamination during production, storage and distribution.
Proper labelling was another major focus of the training.
Labels help consumers identify a product and understand the information provided by its manufacturer or supplier. Depending on the product and applicable requirements, this information may include the product name, ingredients, directions for use, dosage instructions, warnings and other relevant details.
Accurate information can help users avoid confusion and make more informed decisions. In contrast, incomplete or misleading labels can make it difficult for consumers to understand what they are taking and how it should be used.
The workshop also addressed accurate dosage, an important consideration in the responsible use of herbal preparations.
The fact that a product is derived from plants does not automatically make it harmless at every dose. The safety of a preparation may depend on its ingredients, concentration, the quantity taken, a person’s health circumstances and possible interactions with other medicines.
Practitioners must therefore avoid unsupported assurances and provide clear, responsible instructions that comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
Protecting Consumers Through Regulatory Compliance
Regulatory compliance is a critical part of efforts to improve confidence in herbal medicine.
The FDA’s work includes ensuring that regulated products meet applicable safety and quality standards. Its public education and enforcement activities are intended to help businesses and practitioners understand their obligations while protecting consumers from unsafe or non-compliant products.
In June 2026, the Ghana News Agency reported that the FDA had trained herbal medicine manufacturers and practitioners in the Eastern Region on product registration, labelling, Good Manufacturing Practices, advertising regulations and the Authority’s digital registration system. The programme followed compliance gaps identified through routine inspections and audits. .
That wider regulatory context illustrates why capacity-building programmes are important. Practitioners who understand the rules are better positioned to identify what is required of them, prepare the necessary documentation and address problems before products reach consumers.
For the northern Ghana workshop, the emphasis on compliance, hygiene, labelling and dosage brought several practical responsibilities into focus.
The next step is to ensure that the knowledge shared during training is reflected in everyday practice, from the preparation and packaging of products to the information given to customers.
Traditional Medicine and Public Health
Traditional medicine has cultural and historical significance in communities across Ghana. It can also form part of the decisions people make when seeking care for health concerns.
Recognising that role does not remove the need for evidence, responsible practice and appropriate regulation. Instead, constructive engagement can create opportunities to address safety concerns while helping practitioners understand the standards expected of them.
People who use herbal products need reliable information about what they are taking, how to use it and when they should seek advice from a qualified health professional.
Herbal products should not be promoted as guaranteed cures for serious illnesses without reliable evidence and the necessary regulatory authorisation. Consumers should also be cautious about claims that encourage them to abandon prescribed treatment or delay seeking medical care.
The FDA’s engagement with traditional healers can help reinforce these public health messages through direct communication with practitioners who interact with community members.
Stronger cooperation may also make it easier for practitioners to seek clarification about regulatory requirements instead of relying on rumours or incomplete information.
Practitioners Raise Concerns About Resources
Beyond the technical aspects of the training, the workshop provided an opportunity for participants to discuss the difficulties facing traditional healers in northern Ghana.
According to a report by 3News, participants raised concerns about disparities in financial and institutional support between practitioners in northern and southern Ghana. They called on the government, relevant authorities and private stakeholders to provide financial assistance, infrastructure and equipment to improve their ability to operate safely and effectively. .
The concerns highlight the practical challenges that can affect the adoption of improved standards. Training can help practitioners understand what they need to do, but implementing those lessons may be more difficult when suitable facilities, equipment or financial resources are limited.
For example, maintaining appropriate storage conditions and hygienic preparation areas may require investments that some practitioners cannot easily afford.
This makes the question of support important to the wider discussion about improving traditional medicine practice. Regulatory expectations and practical assistance can work together: practitioners need to understand the standards, while relevant stakeholders can explore ways to help them meet those standards.
The appeal for additional support was a key part of the discussion surrounding the workshop, although the report did not establish that new funding or equipment had been approved.
Why Capacity Building Matters
Capacity-building programmes help bridge the gap between regulatory requirements and the day-to-day realities of people working in a sector.
In traditional medicine, continuing education can help practitioners understand product safety, documentation, hygiene, labelling and their responsibilities to consumers.
Such programmes can also create opportunities for dialogue. Regulators can explain the reasons behind particular requirements, while practitioners can raise questions about how to comply with them in their own working environments.
That exchange is important because effective regulation depends not only on rules and inspections but also on awareness, communication and the willingness of regulated parties to follow established standards.
The FDA has described capacity strengthening and stakeholder education as part of its broader approach to regulatory oversight and public health protection. Its partnerships include training and technical support intended to improve regulatory processes and the handling of products under its mandate. .
For traditional healers in northern Ghana, further engagement could help sustain the lessons from the workshop and support a more consistent understanding of applicable requirements.
However, the long-term value of any training programme depends on what happens after participants return to their workplaces. Continued education, appropriate supervision and compliance checks can help reinforce good practices over time.
The Importance of Consumer Awareness
Consumers also have a role to play in protecting their own health when purchasing or using herbal products.
People should pay attention to product labels, follow appropriate directions and avoid preparations that make exaggerated or unverified medical claims. Where a product’s ingredients, registration status or directions are unclear, consumers should seek clarification from the relevant authorities or a qualified health professional.
People taking prescription medicines should tell their healthcare providers about herbal products they use, because some ingredients may interact with other treatments.
Anyone experiencing an unexpected reaction after taking a product should seek appropriate medical advice and report the concern through the relevant channels.
These precautions do not dismiss traditional knowledge. They recognise that consumer safety requires clear information, responsible use and a willingness to investigate possible risks.
Better communication between the FDA, traditional healers and the public can help make those precautions more widely understood.
Looking Ahead
The FDA Ghana’s collaboration with the Northern Ghana Federation of Traditional Healers Association has brought attention to two connected priorities: improving the safety and regulation of herbal healthcare products, and addressing the practical challenges faced by practitioners.
The October 8 workshop focused on regulatory compliance, hygiene, labelling and dosage while also giving participants an opportunity to call for greater financial and infrastructural support.
The challenge now is to translate those discussions into consistent practice. That will require practitioners to apply the relevant standards, regulators to continue providing guidance and oversight, and stakeholders to consider practical ways of helping practitioners meet their obligations.
Consumers, meanwhile, need clear and accurate information so that decisions about herbal products can be made with safety in mind.
Traditional medicine remains part of Ghana’s healthcare landscape. Strengthening standards and cooperation can help ensure that cultural practice and consumer protection are approached responsibly, with public health remaining central to the process.
JONES NEWS will continue to follow developments concerning traditional medicine regulation, public health and consumer safety in Ghana.