Rural Ghana depends on knowledge of traditional plants for three reasons: accessibility, price and familiarity
Originally published in Global Voices in Spanish
Yaa Akpe trader sells an African rose stick branch (Dalbergia saxatilis) at his post in Acra, Ghana. Photo by Jessyn Lemke. Used with permission.
This article is part of the Global Voices "Spotlight" series of August 2026, "Indigenous rights. "This series provides a vision of the lives and experiences of indigenous peoples in order to establish links between regions, highlight indigenous experiences and tell stories of leaders, activists, community members and others. You can support this coverage with adonation.
The traditional medicine market in Ghana, in West Africa, is booming, offering countless cures that have been transmitted from generation to generation among indigenous tribes ga and twi. As the prices of Western pharmaceutical and Western health care rise, Ghanaian people depend on the medical remedies they have always come to: plants.
The Dr. Kofi Donkor, Deputy Director of the Plant-based Drug Research Centre, and expert on the medicinal benefits of many traditional Ghanaian plants, stated:
The traditional medicine practitioners themselves, for them, it is a profession. It is something that has been passed down from generation to generation to them. So they know how to use plants properly. Indeed, let me admit that for us in research, our primary source of knowledge, and in botanical research is from the traditional medicine practitioners. It is the knowledge from the practitioners that we try to validate using scientific methods. What we are doing in research is basically trying to validate the traditional knowledge that we get.
For those who practice it, traditional medicine is a profession. It is something that has been transmitted from generation to generation. So, they know how to use the plants properly. Moreover, I must admit that, for our research, the main source of knowledge, and also in botanical research, are those who practice traditional medicine. It is the knowledge of practitioners that we try to validate by scientific methods. Basically, what we do in research is try to validate the traditional knowledge we receive.
Plant-based medicines are a great business in Ghana
In rural Ghana, women begin to collect medicinal herbs, from shrubs and of the plots, early in the morning to sell them fresh in Acra, the capital city. In the middle of the morning, they have mounted their posts with lots of fresh vines, leaves, stems and bark to sell to customers.
Plant-based drugs are a big business in Ghana. The Centre for Plant-based Drug Research, created by the Government of Ghana in 1976, works with plant raw materials to create natural products and treat patients. Its external patient clinic treats approximately 16,000 patients per month.
Between 60 and 70 per cent of Ghana's population depends on traditional medical markets for their medical care, According to a 2023 study of the magazine of pharmacology Frontiers in Pharmacology.
Donkor says that many in rural Ghana depend on knowledge of traditional plants for three reasons: accessibility, price and familiarity. In an interview with Global Voices, he explained:
Indeed the data shows that in most developing countries, in rural communities, traditional medicine forms 80 percent of primary health care... It actually contributes largely to us trying to meet the goals of universal health care.
Indeed, data show that in most developing countries, in rural communities, traditional medicine forms 80% of primary health care... In fact, it contributes largely to our efforts to achieve universal health goals.
The lush green forests and meadows in rural Ghana have been harboring rural villagers for many years, so many know the different plants that can cure a disease. Living near these forests makes plant-based medicines an easy and cheaper option to treat diseases in rural Ghana, when Western pharmacies are very expensive or too far away.
Donkor said that many rural Ghana people already know the right plants to deal with a problem, and that they may only visit a herborist when there is a more complicated disease. These were his words:
So sometimes when you are sick you don't necessarily have to go to the traditional medicine practitioner in the community to get medication. You just go to your backyard and you know this herb is for malaria, this herb is for typhoid, this herb improves your hemoglobin levels, and you just pluck some, you boat, and you drink.
So, sometimes, when you're sick, you don't necessarily have to go to a traditional community doctor to get medication. You just go to your yard and you know this grass is for malaria, this grass is for typhoid, this grass improves your haemoglobin levels, and you just start it a little, you boil it and drink it.
Continuous research on West African plants
Botanical researchers from the Centre for Plant-based Drug Research study a complete picture of West African plants for their ability to cure diseases, including a green bush that has proved to be a promising treatment against prostate cancer (Croton membranaceous).
When asking if consumers can trust the plants that are sold in Acra's outdoor markets, Donkor warned that, although traders probably sell the right plants, the dose is very important. If a herborist knows what he does and prescribes the right amount of a plant, it can be a powerful cure for the customer.
In the previous video, Patience, a herborist who lives in Acra, often treats his friends and family with traditional plants for many diseases, including malaria, candidiasis and colds. Patience shows that the common mother-in-law language plant (Dracaena trifasciata) can be prepared as a cold bath. It recommends that users make a tea bath with the leaves of the plant, and then let the skin absorb it without drying. He says botanical preparation calms anxiety and helps improve sleep. Spiritually, Patience says that this plant can keep bad people away from the house if left by the door.
Scientific research at the Centre for Plant-based Drug Research, based on knowledge of traditional medicine, adds legitimacy and international attention to the deep indigenous knowledge of these plants. As the prices of Western medicine and gas continue to rise in Ghana and throughout West Africa, the traditional medicine market can be a sustainable source of natural cure for the population.
