East African Traditional Medicine

East African traditional medicine spans the highlands, savanna, and coastal regions of Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, shaped by centuries of trade — including the historic frankincense trade routes along the Horn of Africa.

As with much of African traditional medicine, healing is approached holistically, often incorporating divination to identify the root cause of illness alongside herbal treatment drawn from the region's distinctive highland and savanna flora.

The WHO has documented that a majority of the population in parts of East Africa relies on traditional healers as a primary source of care, particularly in rural areas with limited access to formal healthcare infrastructure.