traditional herbal remedies against malaria, at the national institute of public health, in Abidjan, September 30, 2025.”srcset=”
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Abidjan is awash in promises of quick cures. Drawings of swollen limbs and ailments plaster the city, alongside phone numbers offering rapid recovery. Traditional medicine is a booming, yet largely unregulated, industry in Ivory Coast.
A Murky Market, A Government Response
At bustling crossroads and along congested roads, eye-catching advertisements hawk everything from “elixirs against cancer” to remedies for “sexual weakness.” On public buses, vendors boldly promote their wares, sometimes with the driver’s tacit approval. This lucrative industry in Ivory Coast sees trained traditional practitioners operating alongside outright charlatans, all eager to offer miracle remedies.
The authorities are attempting to bring order to this chaos, aiming to sanction abuses while simultaneously integrating valuable ancestral knowledge into the modern health system. This is no easy task, as the national program for the promotion of traditional medicine (PNPMT), established in 2001, currently lists around 12,000 registered practitioners, with many more operating informally.
Each year, during African Traditional Medicine Days, celebrated on September 30, the PNPMT recognizes beneficial practices and cautions against harmful ones—a challenge often met with the well-intentioned, but sometimes misguided, beliefs of those involved.
