Traditional Medicine in MEA Cancer Care: Evidence & Regulatory Insights 2024

Key Takeaways

• Regional Initiative: MERGIO operates under MECC with National Cancer Institute support to integrate traditional medicine into cancer supportive care across six Middle Eastern countries, establishing evidence-based protocols for the region.
• WHO Framework: The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 provides international guidance for integrating evidence-based traditional medicine into health systems, adopted at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly.
• Regulatory Standards: SAHPRA and SFDA maintain distinct regulatory pathways for traditional medicine products, requiring evidence of safety and efficacy for clinical use in oncology settings. See also: SAHPRA's accelerated approval pathways.
• Clinical Scope: The initiative encompasses herbal medicine from regional botanical sources and mind-body practices, positioned as complementary to conventional oncology treatments to manage side effects and improve quality of life.
• Implementation Challenge: Standardizing herbal preparations remains critical—traditional formulations vary in composition and potency, requiring quality assurance systems for consistent clinical outcomes.

Why Is Traditional Medicine Integration Critical for MEA Cancer Care?

The Middle East and Africa possess centuries-old traditions of herbal and mind-body medicine. Yet systematic integration into modern cancer care has remained fragmented across national healthcare systems. MERGIO represents a coordinated effort to bridge this gap by establishing evidence-based protocols for incorporating traditional medicine into supportive oncology care.

This regional initiative addresses a critical gap in oncology supportive care. It formalizes traditional medicine practices that have been used informally across MEA healthcare systems. The goal is to improve patient acceptance and quality of life while establishing protocols for regulatory harmonization.

The initiative encompasses two primary therapeutic modalities. First, herbal medicine formulations derived from regional botanical sources. Second, mind-body practices including meditation, stress-reduction techniques, and traditional healing approaches. These approaches complement conventional oncology treatments—chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted therapies—rather than replacing them. The focus rests on managing treatment-related side effects, improving quality of life, and supporting psychological well-being during cancer treatment.

What Evidence Standards Guide Clinical Integration?

MERGIO's operational model prioritizes generating high-quality clinical evidence to support traditional medicine integration. The initiative addresses a significant gap in current literature. While herbal medicine and mind-body practices have been used globally in cancer supportive care, the MEA region lacks systematized, peer-reviewed evidence specific to its patient populations, herbal formulations, and cultural contexts.

The clinical integration framework encompasses several components:

• Identification and standardization of herbal preparations used in regional traditional medicine
• Evaluation of efficacy and safety profiles through clinical research
• Assessment of potential drug-herb interactions with conventional oncology medications
• Development of clinical practice guidelines incorporating traditional medicine within evidence-based oncology supportive care

Mind-body interventions address common oncology supportive care challenges. These include cancer-related fatigue, anxiety, depression, and pain. Practices may include traditional meditation techniques, stress-management programs, and culturally adapted psychological interventions.

A critical challenge involves standardizing herbal medicine preparations. Traditional formulations often vary in composition, potency, and quality depending on sourcing, preparation methods, and storage conditions. MERGIO's work includes establishing quality assurance standards and ensuring consistency in active compound content.

How Do MEA Regulators Approach Traditional Medicine in Oncology?

The regulatory framework governing traditional medicine in cancer care across the MEA region remains complex and heterogeneous. Multiple national authorities oversee approval, registration, and quality assurance of herbal medicines. This creates challenges for standardized integration into oncology supportive care protocols.

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) serves as a primary regulatory body in the region. SAHPRA establishes standards for registration and quality control of complementary medicines. The regulator recognizes six major disciplines: Aromatherapy, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Unani Tibb, and Western Herbal Medicine. SAHPRA's Category D framework requires evidence of safety and efficacy for traditional medicine products used in clinical settings, including oncology supportive care.

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) similarly oversees registration and surveillance of herbal products. The authority's Data Requirements for Herbal & Health Products specifies documentation needs for traditional use and contemporary clinical evidence. This includes quality control specifications, safety data, and evidence of traditional use.

Beyond SAHPRA and SFDA, secondary regulatory authorities across the MEA region maintain distinct pathways. These include the Ministry of Health in the United Arab Emirates, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Nigeria, and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) in Kenya. Varied requirements create barriers to harmonized clinical practice across national borders.

The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034, adopted at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly in May 2025, provides international guidance. The strategy aims to strengthen evidence, ensure safety and regulation, integrate traditional medicine into health systems, and optimize cross-sector value. This framework supports MEA regulatory harmonization efforts.

What Are the Clinical Practice Implications?

Integrating traditional medicine into oncology supportive care carries implications for clinical practice across MEA cancer centers. Oncologists and supportive care specialists may incorporate evidence-based herbal medicine recommendations and mind-body practices into standard treatment protocols.

For healthcare professionals, MERGIO's work provides a framework for counseling patients on traditional medicine options. This includes assessing potential drug-herb interactions and monitoring safety outcomes when patients use complementary approaches alongside conventional cancer treatment. Ongoing professional education and access to evidence-based guidelines remain essential.

The patient population across MEA cancer centers—including individuals with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, hematologic malignancies, and other solid tumors—may benefit from integrative supportive care. Common treatment challenges include chemotherapy-induced nausea, fatigue, neuropathy, and psychological distress. Incorporating traditional medicine practices that resonate with patient cultural values may improve treatment adherence and satisfaction. Learn more about Saudi Arabia's National Cancer Registry for regional treatment trends.

How Does This Position MEA in Global Oncology?

The integration of traditional medicine into oncology supportive care represents a differentiation strategy. It distinguishes MEA cancer centers from those relying exclusively on conventional approaches. This positioning reflects growing global recognition that integrative oncology—combining evidence-based conventional and complementary therapies—may enhance patient outcomes.

The initiative positions MEA healthcare institutions as regional leaders in integrative oncology research. This may attract international collaboration, research funding, and clinical partnerships. The strategic positioning may enhance institutional reputation and patient referral patterns across the region.

Compared with more established frameworks in Europe and Asia-Pacific, MEA regulatory bodies have limited precedent for integrating traditional medicine into formal oncology supportive care. MERGIO's evidence generation helps fill this gap, providing regulatory authorities with clinical foundations necessary to establish harmonized standards.

What Is the Future Outlook for Integrative Oncology in MEA?

MERGIO's strategic priorities include conducting rigorous clinical trials evaluating traditional medicine interventions in oncology supportive care. The group aims to develop standardized protocols and clinical practice guidelines for regional implementation. Establishing quality assurance and safety monitoring systems for herbal products remains critical.

Emerging trends likely to influence the initiative include digital health tools for patient education and monitoring of traditional medicine use. Personalized integrative therapy approaches tailored to individual patient genetics and treatment profiles may also shape future development.

Capacity building represents another priority. Training programs for oncology healthcare professionals in MEA countries must address evidence-based integrative medicine, safety assessment of drug-herb interactions, and culturally sensitive patient counseling. Investment in regional research infrastructure and funding mechanisms will sustain long-term evidence generation.

What to watch next: Future milestones include publication of clinical trial results from MERGIO-supported research, release of regionally adapted clinical practice guidelines for integrative oncology, and regulatory updates from SAHPRA, SFDA, and other MEA authorities addressing traditional medicine integration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Primary Sources

1. World Health Organization. Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034. WHO; 2025. Adopted at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly (WHA78.14), May 27, 2025.
2. South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. Complementary Medicines Regulatory Framework. Published August 25, 2017 (Government Notice 859, Gazette 41064).
3. Saudi Food and Drug Authority. Data Requirements for Herbal & Health Products Submission. Version 3.0. Published December 24, 2019; implemented March 19, 2020.
4. World Health Organization. WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre. Established 2022; knowledge hub for traditional medicine research and evidence.
5. National Cancer Institute. International Activities of NCI-Designated Cancer Centers. NCI Center for Global Health; March 2014.
6. South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. Guideline for Complementary Medicines: Quality, Safety and Efficacy. SAHPRA; 2020.

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