**8. Conclusion**

The pattern of disease is changing in developing countries of Africa as a result of globalization, mostly due to contributing factors such as lifestyle, diet, obesity, lack of exercise, stress, etc. A steady rise in the prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases is significantly contributing to Africa's disease burden and is adding to healthcare systems already strained due to the high incidence of infectious diseases. It is, therefore, postulated that TCAM will continue to play an integral role in the health and well-being of people suffering from chronic diseases in Africa as it is part and parcel of African heritage.

Although the use of TCAM is increasing in both developed and developing countries, while this may be substantial, it continues to exist only at the periphery of conventional medicine. It is noteworthy that Western religion, education, modernization, and globalization in Africa have not affected the continuous existence of TCAM, as practiced both in urban and rural areas. This is because it is affordable, dependable, and culture oriented, taking care of healthcare needs of the people. The continued use and future of TCAM is to a great extent hinged on its coexistence with conventional medicine. The extent to which this integration will occur in future as well as the nature of this integration will be greatly influenced by the attitude of physicians, which is mostly negative. For futuristic purposes, the medical students' attitude toward TCAM is, therefore, important in assessing the possibility that this may change. Students' attitudes and beliefs may have a strong impact on the way they will ultimately practice this type of integrative medicine in future. A proper policy and practice response to increasing TCAM use requires an in-depth insight into the nature of TCAM use, including the profile of TCAM users as well as the drivers and barriers that facilitate and limit the use of TCAM. It is, therefore, important for health departments and governments across Africa to put forward policy designs and implementations regarding TCAM, its current role and future possibilities in healthcare systems in general and promoting TCAM training, research and development, as well as integration into mainstream healthcare systems and educational systems as a means of advancing TCAM use.

The WHO, in spite of the challenges of uplifting the role of TCAM in Africa, has noted quite a number of achievements, namely, formation of national policies and regulatory framework in some African member countries, promotion of research by the production of scientific evidence on the safety, efficacy, and quality of TCAM products and services, the development of inventories and monographs on medicinal plants and herbal pharmacopoeia, and capacity building by the inclusion of TCAM in training curricula of health professionals, educating, training, and integration of traditional health practitioners for primary healthcare. However, some challenges yet to be addressed in many African countries exist. There are limited data on safety, efficacy, and quality, limited resources for clinical trials, integrating TCAM to tertiary institutions healthcare systems, and inadequate protection of indigenous knowledge and intellectual proprietary rights. The way forward would, therefore, be to tackle these challenges. No doubt, there are differences between the degrees of organization and integration of TCAM into the mainstream health systems. While some countries may have no structure in place, others have considerable structures in place.

Overall, there is definitely hope for growth and future of TCAM in Africa.
