Okumu Mitchel Otieno, Ochola Francis Okumu, Onyango Allan Odhiambo, Mbaria James Mucunu, Gakuya Daniel Waweru, Kanja Laetitia Wakonyu, Kiama Stephen Gitahi, Onyango Mary Atieno
Department of Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, P.O BOX 29053-00625 Nairobi, Kenya.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Moi University, P.O BOX 3900-30100 Eldoret, Kenya.
Pan Afr Med J. 2017 Nov 15;28:232. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2017.28.232.12585. eCollection 2017.
Complementary and alternative medicine is an integral component of primary healthcare in Kenya. This is because the infrastructural health setup in the country is inadequate in catering for all the medical needs of the population. This particularly holds true in the rural areas where many rural folk rely on products of herbal origin to offset their healthcare needs. More often than not these products are an elaborate cacophony of several different substances of biological origin and thus need personnel adept in their preparation. Sadly, due to loopholes in legislation and regulation, quacks have a field day in the practice. Moreover, the process of planting, harvesting, preparation and storage of herbs and related products dictates that a significant number of people will ultimately be involved in the whole process. This is likely to set the stage for manipulation and compromise of the safety, quality and efficacy of these products. This state of affairs appears unabated especially in the context of the current legal and regulatory framework governing herbal medicine use and practice in Kenya. Not only are these laws inadequate, they are shrouded in ambiguity, open to interpretation and the authorities mandated to implement them often end up performing duplicate roles. The aim of this review is to critique the legal and regulatory provisions governing herbal medicine use and practice in Kenya. In conclusion, laws and regulations meant to control herbal medicine use and practice in Kenya are wanting. Clear and definitive legislation on herbal medicine use and practice coupled with effective implementation by mandated institutions will go a long way in inspiring confidence to all stakeholders of herbal medicine.
补充和替代医学是肯尼亚初级医疗保健的一个组成部分。这是因为该国的基础设施卫生设施不足以满足民众的所有医疗需求。在农村地区尤其如此，许多农村居民依靠草药产品来满足他们的医疗需求。通常情况下，这些产品是由几种不同生物来源的物质精心混合而成的，因此需要有专业人员来制备。遗憾的是，由于立法和监管存在漏洞，庸医在这一行业大行其道。此外，草药及相关产品的种植、收获、制备和储存过程表明，最终会有大量人员参与整个过程。这很可能为操纵和损害这些产品的安全性、质量和功效埋下伏笔。这种情况似乎并未减弱，尤其是在肯尼亚目前管理草药使用和实践的法律和监管框架背景下。这些法律不仅不完善，而且含糊不清、容易产生歧义，负责执行这些法律的当局往往最终扮演重复的角色。本综述的目的是批评肯尼亚管理草药使用和实践的法律和监管规定。总之，肯尼亚旨在控制草药使用和实践的法律法规存在欠缺。关于草药使用和实践的明确和确定性立法，以及授权机构的有效执行，将大大有助于激发所有草药利益相关者的信心。
