Yemen’s healthcare collapse drives patients toward unregulated herbal remedies
With half of all health facilities non-functional, Yemenis are turning to traditional practitioners for treatment. Medical experts warn of severe health deterioration, while regulatory gaps leave the sector largely unchecked.
The collapse of Yemen’s formal healthcare infrastructure has forced millions of citizens to seek treatment outside the medical system, with herbal medicine emerging as a primary alternative. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 20 million people lack access to basic medical care due to years of conflict and severe funding shortages. The agency reports that at least 50% of health facilities in the country are entirely non-functional, a crisis that has severely hampered responses to recurring disease outbreaks such as cholera and diphtheria.
In the absence of functional hospitals, patients are increasingly visiting herbal shops in cities such as Taiz and Hodeidah. These establishments often market their services by referencing Islamic texts, specifically citing honey mentioned in the Quran and Hadiths as a cure. Practitioners operate without official permits or regulatory oversight, with a source from the Taiz governorate health office confirming that complaints against these stores are referred to public prosecutors rather than health authorities, as the shops do not provide formal healthcare services.
The risks of this shift are illustrated by the case of Jaleelah Abdul Hameed, a patient in Taiz who was initially misdiagnosed with a colon ailment before being identified with liver cancer. Unable to afford international treatment and dissatisfied with local options, she abandoned prescribed chemotherapy for six months in favour of herbal remedies consisting of ground leaves and honey. Ms Abdul Hameed reported severe health deterioration during this period and has since returned to standard treatment in a significantly worse condition, describing her decision to pursue alternative medicine as a mistake.
Conversely, some patients report temporary symptom relief, though medical experts attribute this to the natural fluctuation of conditions rather than the efficacy of the herbs. Raqeeb Sultan, another patient in Taiz, reported relief from Helicobacter pylori symptoms after using herbal remedies. However, Dr Adel, an internal medicine specialist, noted that H pylori symptoms often come and go, and test results can fluctuate. He warned that practitioners lack formal training and rely on unproven methods, exploiting temporary relief to market their services while delaying proper diagnosis.
Despite the warnings from the medical community, herbal medicine stores have become ubiquitous, with some leveraging social media influencers to promote their products. Practitioners such as Ali, who operates in Taiz, argue that their methods are a learned science and accuse doctors of tarnishing their reputation. However, Ms Abdul Hameed and other experts insist that oversight is urgently needed to prevent patients from being duped by unregulated centres that deal directly with serious health conditions.
