Huambo - The King of central Huambo (traditional title) Artur Moço on Thursday urged the society to be more involved in the fight against false traditional and natural medicine therapists to safeguard the well-being of the population.
The chieftain made the statement during a meeting to update and organize the documents of these professionals, an initiative of the Chamber of Traditional and Natural Medicine Therapists and Promoters of Reproductive Health in Huambo province, with the participation of 150 members.
Artur Moço urged the society to be united in the fight against empiricism, which many false traditional and natural medicine therapists are involved in, deceiving the population with false promises of cures.
The chieftain added that there are currently many false traditional therapists in the country, who only work to satisfy their own needs, without thinking about the well-being of others.
Moço added that the local traditional authorities have been instructed to supervise all citizens who handle various plants and herbs, without authorization to cure people.
The president of the Chamber of Traditional and Natural Medicine Therapists and Reproductive Health Promoters of Huambo, Adelino Sandambongo, said the meeting aimed at formally starting to update members' documents to legalize all professionals.
He spoke of the importance for everyone to be properly documented to perform traditional medicine so as not to be surprised by law enforcement authorities while carrying out their duties.
Sandambongo deplored the existence of false traditional therapists, who insist on extorting and deceiving the population with promises of cures for various illnesses, with the sole aim of illicit enrichment.
The chamber has more than 1,500 members, including therapists, midwives, naturopaths and traditional medicine pharmacists, from the Central Region of the country, which corresponds to the provinces of Huambo, Bié, Benguela and Cuanza-Sul. ZZN/JSV/ALH/AMP