Joseph Nicolao Otieno, PhD Chairperson of the Traditional and Alternative Health Practitioners Council of Tanzania under the Ministry of Health
Advancing Traditional Medicine, Ethnobotany, and Natural Health Innovation Across Africa
Dr. Joseph Nicolao Otieno is an Associate Research Professor of Ethnobotany at the Institute of Traditional Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Tanzania. An internationally respected researcher, educator, and leader in traditional medicine, his work focuses on ethnobotany, natural remedies, medicinal plant conservation, and plant biotechnology.
From 2018 to 2024, he served as Director of the Institute of Traditional Medicine at MUHAS, providing strategic leadership in advancing research, education, and the integration of traditional medicine into healthcare. He currently serves as the Chairperson of the Traditional and Alternative Health Practitioners Council of Tanzania (TAHPC), a presidential appointment under the Ministry of Health (2024–2027), where he helps guide national policy and standards for traditional and complementary healthcare.
Professor Otieno is a dedicated university educator, researcher, and consultant with expertise spanning traditional medicine, medicinal plants, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable health innovation. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications and continues to contribute to the advancement of evidence-informed traditional medicine through research, education, and international collaboration.
He serves as the MUHAS focal contact for an initiative aimed at bringing African Indigenous Knowledge Systems to life for social development, in collaboration with partner institutional hubs across Africa, with its headquarters in KwaZulu-Natal.
Prof. Otieno is engaged in several research areas, including the nutritive and medicinal value of Tanzanian wild vegetables and indigenous fruits, as well as the taxonomy of native Aloe species in Tanzania. His work also focuses on community-based, sustainable conservation of threatened plant species such as Prunus africana, Osyris lanceolata, Hypoxis species, and other tuberous food herbs found in Tanzania.
Beyond his academic and research contributions, he is a father of two daughters and a son.