Ghanaian health authorities have taken a major step to resolve a seemingly contentious issue in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the country by seeking to encourage traditional medical practitioners.

For many people in the West African country, where about 60 percent of the population lives in the rural area, herbal medicine is the first choice when they are sick.

This may not necessarily be because of the high cost of orthodox medical care, but an undying trust and reliance on herbal medicine over the centuries.

The worry of the authorities stems from charlatans who have invaded the sector amid claims by traditional medicine practitioners to have found cure for HIV/AIDS.

"Health education on HIV/AIDS stands the risk of being jeopardised by the numerous claims of cure for HIV/AIDS," said Emmanuel Mensah, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service in Accra.

"There is a grave danger of people spreading the virus if they believe they have been cured by a herbal product which may only have controlled the symptoms," he said.

The Health Ministry this week called a high-level meeting of scientists, doctors, herbalists and policy makers in Accra to draw up guidelines for laboratory and clinical testing for herbal medicine on HIV/AIDS.

This was to put to rest friction between health officials and traditional medical practitioners who claim that technocrats and doctors frustrate them.

Insisting that there is still no cure for AIDS, Mensah noted that the herbal products so far accepted by the Ministry only manage symptoms with some improvement on the condition of the patient even though the viral load remains the same.

Many Ghanaians have argued that doctors and technocrats should move from their laboratories and offices and reach out to the herbalists to convince them to bring their preparations for testing.

The traditional medicine practitioners should also be assured that their work would be protected and not stolen by some "intellectuals."

The meeting took far-reaching decisions that would allay the fears of the herbalists and encourage them to come forward.

The Traditional and Alternative Medicines Directorate (TAMD) would receive herbal products submitted to the Ministry and an agreement signed between the two parties.

According to the guidelines, "the agreement will provide guarantee that the Ministry will preserve the confidentiality of all products and information received from the practitioner."

"It will also enjoin the practitioner to provide every information needed to develop the product into scientifically and ethically acceptable medicament."

The key point is that the two parties will sign binding agreements regarding the Intellectual Property Rights of the products.

In the interest of public safety, all products received will have to be tested before any assessment of efficacy is carried out.

"The safety tests shall ensure that the products are safe, non-toxic and contain no harmful biological or chemical concomitants. Products deemed safe for use in humans would then be submitted for empirical clinical testing."

The guidelines also said that patients for the trials may be recruited through the Association of Patients Living with HIV/AIDS. Participation shall be voluntary and informed consent shall be obtained from the patients.

Any product developed shall be registered with the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) and marketing of all herbal medicine products for the management of HIV/AIDS shall be with guidance with TAMD and FDB.

To address authorities concern that incorrectly conceived advertisement could have negative impacts on public health programmes on HIV/AIDS, especially in the area of safe sex promotion, the guidelines require that adverts related to herbal medication in the management of HIV/AIDS be rigorously controlled.

Experts say this may mark the beginning of a mutually beneficial co-operation, which could boost the fight against an incurable disease and promote public health care system.