On a humid morning in the Seychelles, a practitioner might harvest ayapana leaves from a mountainside plot rather than reach for a pharmacy packet. The island nation has a living tradition of plant-based remedies, and the World Health Organization estimates that between 40 and 90 percent of populations in 90 percent of its member states still use traditional medicine as a first line of care. For travellers, understanding this practice offers a window into local life that beach resorts rarely reveal — and it carries practical relevance, too, since some remedies interact with prescription drugs.
“Traditional medicine is not a thing of the past.” — WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Seychelles’ traditional medicine is a legitimate, regulated system worth knowing about, not a tourist curiosity. But it requires caution: some plants like ayapana have documented adverse reactions with prescription drugs and milk, so never self-prescribe without consulting a local practitioner or your doctor.
Where tradition meets regulation in Seychelles
Interest in alternative medicine in Seychelles rose sharply in 2003, the same year the National Association for Herbalists was formed. Before that, the National Heritage Research and Protection Section (NHPRS) had already spent years studying and propagating local medicinal plants, with significant breakthroughs in 1992. The system is not casual folk wisdom — it requires knowledge and skills to prescribe safely, and the government has taken steps to bring it under formal oversight.
The NHPRS work on medicinal plants of Seychelles includes trials of propagating plants before they were significantly proven in 1992. That research focus matters because it shows the country is trying to understand what works, rather than simply preserving folklore. But the system has limits: knowledge is passed orally in many families, and not all remedies have been scientifically tested.
The plants you are most likely to encounter
If you walk through a local market in Victoria, you will see bundles of leaves and roots that most visitors walk past without a second glance. Among the most common is ayapana (Ayapana triplinervis), a plant widely used for flu and cold symptoms. The same species appears in traditional medicine systems across the Indian Ocean region, but in Seychelles it is cultivated locally, often in mountain gardens.
Therese Barbe, a research officer at the NHPRS, has documented that medicinal plants in Seychelles are rich in many compounds — which is both their strength and their risk. Many prescribed drugs derive from plants, as the WHO notes that 40 percent or more of biomedical pharmaceuticals originate from natural products. Aspirin came from willow tree bark. Contraceptive pills were developed from yam plant roots. Child cancer treatments rely on Madagascar’s rosy periwinkle flower. The line between traditional and modern medicine is thinner than it seems.
The WHO will launch a digital repository of 1.6 million scientific records on traditional medicine. For Seychelles, that could mean more of its local plants get studied — but for now, much of the knowledge remains oral and family-based.
What this means for a visitor: if a Seychellois friend or host offers you a herbal tea for a cough, it is a gesture of care, not a performance. But ask what is in it. Ayapana is the most common, and the most likely to interact with pharmaceuticals.
How the WHO is reshaping the conversation
In December 2024, the WHO opened a major conference on traditional medicine in New Delhi. The meeting examined how governments can regulate traditional medicine while using AI and other tools to validate safe and effective treatments. WHO chief scientist Dr. Sylvie Briand noted that AI can screen millions of compounds to help understand the complex structure of herbal products — a development that could eventually benefit small island states like Seychelles that lack the resources for large-scale clinical trials.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi backed the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, launched in 2022 in his home state of Gujarat. Dr. Shyama Kuruvilla, head of that centre, pointed out that “with half the world’s population lacking access to essential health services, traditional medicine is often the closest – or only care – available for many people.” In Seychelles, where healthcare infrastructure is concentrated on Mahé, that rings true for outer island communities.
Advanced imaging technologies, including brain scans, are now shedding light on how practices such as meditation and acupuncture affect the body. The WHO defines traditional medicine as the accumulated knowledge, skills and practices used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness. That definition covers a lot of ground, and the Seychelles tradition fits squarely within it.
| Approach | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Ayapana tea for colds | Readily available, locally grown, culturally accepted | Adverse reaction with prescription drugs and milk; overdose possible |
| WHO-regulated herbal medicine | Scientific validation, AI-assisted screening, global standards | Slow to reach small island states; expensive to implement |
| Pharmaceutical drugs from plants | Standardised dosing, clinical trials, widespread availability | Often inaccessible in remote areas; cost barrier |
What travellers should know before trying local remedies
If you are curious about traditional Seychellois medicine, the safest approach is to observe and ask questions rather than consume. Markets in Victoria sell dried ayapana leaves, and some guesthouses offer herbal teas. But the National Association for Herbalists, formed in 2003, recommends consulting a registered practitioner rather than self-prescribing — a warning that applies doubly to visitors unfamiliar with the plants.
Ayapana has documented adverse effects when taken alongside prescription drugs and milk. If you take regular medication, do not consume any herbal remedy in Seychelles without first checking with a practitioner or your doctor.
Conservationists also warn that demand for certain traditional medicine products drives trafficking in endangered wildlife, including tigers, rhinos and pangolins — though in Seychelles, the tradition is overwhelmingly plant-based and locally sourced. The risk is low here, but it is worth knowing that the global trade in traditional medicine is not always ethical.
- Ayapana is the most common Seychellois medicinal plant — effective for colds but risky with prescription drugs and milk.
- The WHO is moving to regulate and scientifically validate traditional medicine, which could benefit small island states in the long term.
- Always consult a registered herbalist or your doctor before trying local remedies; self-prescribing carries real risks.
Seychelles’ traditional medicine: your questions answered
Is it safe to try traditional medicine in Seychelles as a tourist?
Not without guidance. While many remedies are plant-based and locally grown, ayapana — the most common cold remedy — has documented adverse reactions with prescription drugs and milk. Stick to observing and asking questions unless a registered practitioner is involved.
Where can I see traditional medicine being practised in Seychelles?
Local markets in Victoria sell dried medicinal plants, and some guesthouses prepare herbal teas. For a deeper understanding, the folklore traditions of Seychelles often intertwine with plant knowledge — but actual consultations with herbalists are private and not a tourist activity.
Does the Seychelles government regulate traditional medicine?
Yes, partially. The National Association for Herbalists was formed in 2003, and the National Heritage Research and Protection Section has been studying medicinal plants since the early 1990s. However, much knowledge remains oral and family-based, so regulation is not universal.
Are there any downsides to traditional medicine in Seychelles?
Yes. Overdosing on herbal remedies is possible, and adverse reactions with prescription drugs are documented. The WHO also warns that demand for traditional medicine globally drives wildlife trafficking, though Seychelles’ plant-based tradition avoids that particular problem.
How does Seychelles’ traditional medicine compare to other systems worldwide?
The WHO notes that 40 percent or more of biomedical pharmaceuticals derive from natural products — aspirin from willow bark, contraceptive pills from yam roots. Seychelles’ remedies follow the same principle but lack the clinical trials that pharmaceutical drugs undergo. The WHO’s new digital repository of 1.6 million scientific records may eventually help bridge that gap.
The real value of understanding Seychelles’ traditional medicine is not about finding an alternative to paracetamol. It is about seeing how a small island nation maintains a knowledge system that predates modern clinics — and how global institutions are finally catching up to take that knowledge seriously. The next time you see ayapana leaves at a market stall, you will know they represent something older and more carefully tended than any resort spa treatment.
Sources and further reading
Medicinal plants of Seychelles: renowned flu, cold remedies. Seychelles Nation, 2023.
Ancient cures and AI: WHO seeks evidence for traditional medicine. The Straits Times, 2024.
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