Legal Director of Ministry of Health Declares: “No Ghanaian Law Recognizes Alternative Medicine Practice”

Controversy Erupts as Statement Sparks Uproar Among Practitioners

A legal bombshell has been dropped in Ghana’s health regulatory landscape. Inua Yusuf, Head of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Health, has publicly declared that “no Ghanaian law currently recognizes the practice of alternative medicine.”

He made the bold statement during a high-level roundtable discussion at the just-ended National Health Dialogue, stirring intense reactions from the alternative medicine community.

“Let me state clearly that alternative medicine practitioners are not yet recognized under our laws in Ghana,” Mr. Yusuf emphasized, reigniting a longstanding controversy over the regulatory framework of complementary and alternative medicine in the country.

The remarks have since generated a major uproar, especially among members of the Ghana Alternative Medical Practitioners Association (GAMPA) and independent practitioners who have long pushed for legal inclusion under Ghana’s health system.

One of the most vocal critics of the current regulatory regime, Prof. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu, a lawyer and prominent figure in the alternative medicine space, has repeatedly argued that the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has overstepped its legal bounds by attempting to regulate alternative medicine under Act 575, which only provides for traditional medicine.

In a series of well-researched legal articles, Prof. Obu has challenged the authority of the TMPC and advocated for clear statutory recognition for naturopaths, homeopaths, and other alternative health practitioners.

“This recent statement from the Ministry’s legal director vindicates our position,” Prof. Obu said in a brief interview. “It confirms that alternative medicine falls outside the current legal mandate of TMPC and strengthens the case for a new regulatory framework that respects the distinct nature of our practice.”

However, instead of addressing the critical legal concerns raised by Prof. Nyarkotey, the TMPC reportedly called for his arrest, accusing him of incitement. This move has been widely condemned by civil society observers as an attempt to silence a legitimate legal and policy debate.

The tension has also been exacerbated by an ongoing legal battle between the immediate past Registrar of TMPC and former board members. The former Registrar has dragged his erstwhile board members to the High Court, alleging defamation and questioning their authority to challenge his administrative decisions regarding the regulation of alternative practitioners.

This unfolding saga highlights the urgent need for legislative clarity, especially as the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Bill (2018) remains in limbo. The bill, if passed, would merge both traditional and alternative medicine under a unified legal framework, providing long-awaited recognition to practitioners outside the traditional medicine domain.

Meanwhile, practitioners continue to operate under what many describe as a gray legal zone, with TMPC acting as a de facto regulator without clear statutory authority. This new development, however, has cast fresh doubts on the legitimacy of that arrangement.

As legal experts and stakeholders await the Ministry’s official position, the call for the swift passage of the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Bill has grown louder — and more urgent than ever.