Traditional Medicine in Health Systems: Where It Is Regulated and Where It Is Not
How governments regulate and fold traditional medicine into health care, with WHO's 2018 counts and examples from South Africa, Ghana, the UK and the US, and where rules are thin.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Two different questions
When people ask whether a traditional medicine is "regulated" or "integrated," they are really asking several things. Is the product approved or registered? Is the practitioner licensed? Does insurance pay? Is the practice offered inside clinics and hospitals? The answers differ by country, by tradition and sometimes by state. Researchers sometimes call the existence of several healing systems side by side "medical pluralism." This page gives the best-sourced snapshots we could read and does not claim to cover every country.What WHO counted in 2018
The WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine 2019 gathered data from Member States as of 2018. It reported that 98 Member States had developed national policies, 109 had national laws or regulations, and 124 had implemented regulations on herbal medicines. [1] WHO's own Q&A repeats the 124 figure for herbal medicine laws or regulation. [2] The report found 78 Member States regulating providers of traditional and complementary medicine, up from 67 in 2012. [1] Of the 194 Member States, 79 (40 percent) reported a national programme. [1] Only 45 reported that health insurance covered any of it. [1]These are self-reports by governments. A law on paper tells you what is required, not how well it is enforced.
Regional and product gaps
The report says that in the WHO African Region, regulation and registration of herbal medicines remain a challenge, even though other measures have progressed. [1] WHO also names a common challenge worldwide: monitoring the safety of traditional medicine products, especially setting up systems that track adverse reactions. [2] WHO's position is that integration into national health systems must be done appropriately, effectively and safely, based on the latest scientific evidence. [2] The 2018 Declaration of Astana on primary health care acknowledged the need to include traditional medicine knowledge and technologies in primary care. [2]Examples from specific places
| Place | What the source we read says |
|---|---|
| South Africa | The Traditional Health Practitioners Act of 2007 states its purposes as establishing an interim council and providing for registration, training and practices of traditional health practitioners. [3] |
| Ghana | The Traditional Medicine Practice Act, 2000 says no one may operate premises as a practitioner or produce herbal medicine for sale unless registered. [4] |
| United Kingdom | The NHS says herbal medicines are not available on the NHS, and that complementary therapists and herbal medicine practitioners other than chiropractors and osteopaths do not need to be registered by law. [5] |
| United States (practitioners) | NCCIH says credentials for complementary health practitioners vary tremendously from state to state and from discipline to discipline. [6] |
| United States (Tribal health) | In October 2024 CMS approved Medicaid waivers in four states for American Indian and Alaska Native traditional health care; the facility providing the services decides which services are offered and who can serve as a practitioner. [7] |
Each row describes one law, agency or program, not a whole country's system. Rules change, so check the current text before relying on any of it.
What this means for you
A license, registration or insurance plan is useful information, but it is not a guarantee. NCCIH says being licensed or certified is not always a guarantee of being qualified. [8] Where practitioners are not regulated, as the NHS describes for herbal medicine practitioners in the UK, you carry more of the checking yourself. [5] Our guide to how to check a traditional practitioner and the regulation by country guide explain what to ask. We do not list or recommend practitioners.When to seek conventional care first
Traditional care and conventional care can be used together when each practitioner knows about the other. Tell your clinicians about every product and practitioner, and do not stop a prescribed medicine or delay care for a serious or sudden problem. See coordinating complementary and medical care.Related pages
See WHO and traditional medicine worldwide, traditional healers and modern health systems and Africa and Latin America: what can be said responsibly.Frequently asked questions
How many countries regulate herbal medicines?
WHO reported that 124 Member States had laws or regulations on herbal medicines as of 2018. [1]
Are traditional practitioners licensed everywhere?
No. In the UK, the NHS says herbal medicine practitioners do not need to be registered by law, while Ghana and South Africa have registration laws. [5][4][3]
Does insurance cover traditional medicine?
As of 2018, 45 of 194 Member States reported that health insurance covered traditional or complementary medicine. [1]
Are traditional medicine products monitored for safety?
WHO calls monitoring the safety of these products a common challenge and encourages countries to set up safety-reporting systems. [2]
Does regulation make a remedy safe?
Not automatically. Being licensed or certified is not always a guarantee of being qualified, so it is still worth checking training and asking questions. [8]
References
- WHO. WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine 2019 (data as of 2018). Read 2026-10-22.
- WHO. Traditional medicine: questions and answers (28 November 2025). Read 2026-10-22.
- Republic of South Africa. Traditional Health Practitioners Act, 2007 (Act No. 22 of 2007), section 2 (Purpose of Act). Read 2026-10-22.
- Republic of Ghana. Traditional Medicine Practice Act, 2000 (Act 575) (text on WIPO Lex). Read 2026-10-22.
- NHS (UK). Herbal medicines and complementary therapies. Read 2026-10-22.
- NCCIH (US). 6 Things To Know When Selecting a Complementary Health Practitioner. Read 2026-10-22.
- Center for Health Care Strategies. CMS-approved waivers break new ground for Medicaid coverage of American Indian and Alaska Native traditional health care practices (October 2024). Read 2026-10-22.
- NCCIH (US). Credentialing, Licensing, and Education. Read 2026-10-22.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.