Rwanda : Traditional healers encouraged on hygiene

Traditional medicine practitioners in the districts of Gakenke, Burera, and Musanze have been encouraged to become professional in their careers as a way of promoting the activities in the health sector. The traditional healers were specifically asked to put a focus on aspects of hygiene and packing medicine and a way of winning the trust of residents who may use traditional medicine as an option for treating some of disease in the community. The call was made by Faustin Nkubito, a researcher and coordinator of Ruhengeri Botanical gardens during a sensitization campaign on the use of herbal medicine as an option of supporting residents to have access the health service in the community. The traditional healers also attended a training session, aimed at improving their knowledge and trends of health services. The two day training was held at Ines Ruhengeri School, in Musanze district and it attracted over various traditional medicine practitioners from Gakenke, Burera, and Musanze districts in the Northern Province of Rwanda. The trainees said that the training was timely and enabled them to have additional knowledge and skills in their career. They also resolved on collaborating in order to improve the manner in which local medicine is used and focus on the health of residents instead of financial benefits in their activities. Musanze district and Ines Ruhengeri school pledged to support the traditional medicine sector, especially in building a pharmacy for storing and distributing their products in a more professional manner.