TradiDocAI

TradiDocAI

TradiDocAI

An AI-powered platform documenting African traditional medicine with success/failure insights to ensure safe and informed usage.

Accra and Berekuso

GHA

Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit

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In Ghana and across Africa, traditional medicine is deeply embedded in community health systems, with over 80% of the population depending on it for primary care. However, this sector remains undocumented, unregulated, and vulnerable to misinformation and unsafe practices. In Accra and Berekuso, we have encountered stories of both healing and harm caused by traditional remedies—but without a centralized system to record and assess these outcomes, the public remains at risk. Many communities unknowingly consume dangerous concoctions or avoid effective remedies due to a lack of reliable documentation. This results in preventable illnesses, mistrust in indigenous knowledge, and missed opportunities for scientific validation. Despite WHO's recognition of the need to integrate traditional medicine into national health systems, little infrastructure exists to support this in real-time. Without AI-driven tools to monitor and update these treatments, the gap between traditional healing and modern safety standards will continue to grow.

TradiDocAI is a prototype-stage AI solution developed in Ghana that documents, verifies, and analyzes traditional medicinal treatments. The platform collects real-world data from traditional healers and users in Accra and Berekuso through mobile forms, voice notes, and community interviews. This information includes herbal ingredients, dosage, healing claims, success rates, and failure or harm incidents. Using natural language processing (NLP) and supervised learning algorithms, TradiDocAI structures this data into a searchable knowledge base. Users can enter the name of a herbal product, plant, or healer and instantly access a full profile: verified success stories, associated risks, ingredient interactions, and user testimonials. The platform is multilingual, mobile-friendly, and capable of updating itself as new remedies are submitted or validated. Our prototype has been tested in local communities, where it has already helped avoid unsafe practices and amplified healers whose remedies show promise. TradiDocAI is not only preserving cultural knowledge—it’s transforming it into a living, evolving health resource that connects indigenous wisdom with digital safety nets.

TradiDocAI primarily serves three interconnected groups: Traditional medicine users, especially in peri-urban and rural areas like Berekuso, who depend on these treatments but have no means of verifying their safety. Our platform empowers them with factual, community-informed insights to avoid harmful remedies and make informed choices. Traditional healers, many of whom feel isolated from the broader health ecosystem. With TradiDocAI, they can document their work, receive feedback, and build trust with users. This visibility helps legitimate and skilled practitioners grow their credibility. Public health stakeholders and researchers, who gain access to structured data that was previously locked in oral tradition. This helps in developing health policies, pharmaceutical innovations, and integration frameworks. By leveraging real-time community feedback, TradiDocAI ensures continuous improvement, ethical documentation, and social inclusion. It gives voice to centuries-old practices while providing a safeguard for modern consumers. Already, the prototype in Accra and Berekuso has demonstrated life-saving potential—avoiding unsafe practices, enhancing cultural respect, and proving that African knowledge systems deserve digital tools to thrive.