Briefing Paper

Frameworks for Intellectual Property Protection of Traditional Knowledge in Tanzania

This study revealed that protection mechanisms among the community is mainly secrecy, which cannot be recommended as a means of protecting the TK. Leakage of the secrets could lead to no protection. As TK is not documented, there is a danger of losing this knowledge. The service of traditional healers is required and has got its contribution to the health care of the society. Few traditional healers are aware of the legislation concerned with the conventional intellectual property protection mechanism. There is no policy addressing relevant issues of TK except the National Healthy Policy of 2007 which has a policy statement of working
together with the traditional healers, traditional nurses and is recognizing the importance of both traditional and alternative medicines. The current legal framework do not provide for protection of TK.”