Heritage Medicine
Explore centuries of healing wisdom — from Zimbabwe's traditional n'angas to Ayurvedic texts and Chinese medicine. Learning materials for the curious and for biomedical students.
East African Medicinal Traditions: Ethiopia and the Horn
Ethiopia's written medical tradition, its distinctive endemic flora, and the Kitab al-Tibb manuscripts that recorded it.
ZINATHA and the Regulation of Traditional Medicine in Zimbabwe
How Zimbabwe formalised traditional practice through the Traditional Medical Practitioners Act, and where the regulatory gaps still sit.
Mopane Worms: Indigenous Protein and Nutritional Security
Madora are a seasonal staple across southern Zimbabwe and one of the region's most nutrient-dense traditional foods.
Mufandichimuka and Zimbabwe's Sacred Resurrection Plant
Myrothamnus flabellifolius survives near-total desiccation and revives within hours of rain. Its biology and its place in Zimbabwean healing.
African Potato and the Politics of Herbal Claims in Southern Africa
Hypoxis hemerocallidea became the centre of a damaging public health controversy in southern Africa. A case study in how traditional remedies should and should not be evaluated.
Devil's Claw: Zimbabwe's Kalahari-Edge Anti-Inflammatory Export
Harpagophytum procumbens is one of southern Africa's few traditional remedies to gain broad European clinical acceptance. This piece covers its pharmacology, its evidence base in osteoarthritis and back pain, and …
Zumbani (Lippia javanica): Zimbabwe's Household Fever Remedy
Zumbani is probably the most widely used medicinal plant in Zimbabwean homes. This article traces its traditional uses, its preparation, and what laboratory work has and has not established about …
West African Traditional Medicine: Yoruba and Akan Healing Systems
An academic exploration of the Yoruba (Nigeria) and Akan (Ghana) systems of traditional medicine, including their philosophical frameworks, key medicinal plants, and parallels with modern pharmacology.
Moringa, Baobab and Marula: Zimbabwe's Organic Medicine Powerhouses
A phytochemical overview of Zimbabwe's three most studied medicinal plants — Moringa oleifera, Adansonia digitata (Baobab), and Sclerocarya birrea (Marula) — for first-year biomedical science students.
Traditional Healing in Zimbabwe: N'angas, Herbalists and Spiritual Medicine
An introduction to Zimbabwe's rich tradition of indigenous healing, exploring the roles of the n'anga (traditional healer), the spirit mediums, and the herbalists who have served Shona and Ndebele communities …