HCOWA Ghana and the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) in a collaborative move aimed at transforming the herbal and traditional medicine sector, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the West African Herbal Medicine Joint Standardization Laboratory (WA-HMSL) at the2025 China-Africa Healthcare Market Development Opportunities Exchange and Economic & Trade Cooperation Meeting held in Chengdu-China on 27th November, 2025.
The collaboration aims to address long-standing challenges in the sector, including inconsistent quality, lack of scientific validation, and regulatory fragmentation. The new laboratory will serve as a regional hub for research, testing, and certification of herbal medicines, ensuring that products meet both local and international safety and efficacy standards.
The WA-HMSL will be equipped with specialized facilities for phytochemistry, microbiology, toxicology, DNA barcoding, and quality control, alongside a Traditional Medicine Documentation & Research Centre. It will also provide training programs for scientists, practitioners, and regulators, and incorporate digital systems for sample tracking, research databases, and certification verification.
HCOWA will lead financial investment, international partnerships, and laboratory development, while TMPC will provide regulatory oversight, technical guidance, and access to Ghana’s traditional medicine data. Together, the partners will manage operations through a Joint Steering Committee and a Technical Advisory Board, ensuring rigorous standards and effective governance.
“This partnership brings together science and tradition, creating a laboratory that will safeguard indigenous knowledge while making herbal medicines safer and more credible,” said a HCOWA representative. “It is a major step toward strengthening public health and supporting the growth of the herbal medicine industry in Ghana and across West Africa.”
The laboratory will also serve as a regional certification center, facilitating cross-border acceptance of standardized herbal products, supporting research and innovation, and promoting sustainable commercialization. Funding will come primarily from HCOWA, with support from TMPC, government backing, and potential partnerships with international donors and private investors.
The WA-HMSL is expected to boost quality assurance for herbal medicine producers, facilitate cross-border regulatory acceptance, and promote innovation and research in the sector.
With the WA-HMS established , HCOWA is positioning itself and Ghana as a leader in modernizing traditional medicine, combining scientific rigor with the wealth of indigenous knowledge that has long defined the continent’s herbal practices.
