Protection of Rights of Knowledge Holders and Practitioners of Traditional Medicine in Tanzania.

Background: Lack or inadequate implementation and enforcement of legal frameworks for accessing and benefit sharing arising from the use of traditional and indigenous knowledge is associated with sub-optimal exploitation of traditional medicine knowledge and related research outputs in many African countries.

Objectives: This study assessed the practice of protecting the rights of holders of traditional medicine knowledge, and identified challenges in regulating, registering and protecting traditional medicine based services, processes and products in Tanzania.

Methods: Practice of protecting the rights of holders of traditional medicine knowledge in Tanzania was assessed through interviews with 12 knowledge holders and practitioners of traditional medicines, and 12 key informants from national regulatory authorities, and research and high learning institutions involved in traditional medicine research and development in Tanzania.

Results: Absence of frameworks for accessing and benefit sharing arising from the use of tradition medicine knowledge, mistrust and inadequate knowledge on procedures for protection of traditional medicine based intellectual property hampers the practice of protecting the rights of holders of traditional medicine knowledge in Tanzania. Costly and bureaucratic procedures are among the challenges encountered by knowledge holders and practitioners of tradition medicine in registration of their traditional medicine products and practices. Poor network relationship between holders of traditional medicine knowledge and research community slow down the progress of traditional medicine research and development. Lack of guidelines for regulation of traditional medicine research may be the result of overlapping roles of the National Institute for Medical Research and the Council of Traditional and Alternative Medicine.

Conclusion: In Tanzania, the environment for protecting the rights of holders of traditional medicine knowledge is suboptimal. To stimulate exploitation of traditional medicine for economic growth, there is a need to develop and implement national and institutional frameworks for accessing and benefit sharing arising from the use of traditional knowledge.