Legislation drawn up during the colonial era generally outlawed the practice of traditional medicine, but governments in the region today permit traditional practice by and large. Inseparable from the popularity and importance of traditional medicine in the region, is the fact that Western medicine is largely unavailable to a sizable portion of Africa's population, as its cost is unaffordable for many. Western health facilities are sparse in the rural areas, often limited to the minimum, whereas TMPs are frequently located in villages and can address health issues immediately. The ratios of doctors schooled in Western medicine to patients in some countries provide a useful indicator of the inaccessibility of Western medicine, and the relative availability of TMPs. Because of the status of traditional medicine in the region, it follows in turn that a large proportion of the region's population relies directly on wildlife medicinals for their health.
Markets are an integral part of the trade structure for wildlife medicinals in most countries.
This is a result of increased urbanization, which has distanced consumers from collection areas for medicinals. There are some exceptions, such as Malawi, which has less open trade in medicinals as patients demonstrate a preference for private consultation with TMPs. Because of increased urbanization, an increasing number purchase from vendors in markets, or directly from commercial collectors. Although many TMPs do collect their own wildlife medicinals, or rely on family members or apprentices to do this, in general, trade and sale appear to be growing throughout the region. Rising human populations were reported for most of the countries surveyed, and this fact, in conjunction with other factors, such as habitat loss and trade in wildlife for non-medicinal use, is likely to be responsible for increasing pressure on medicinal wildlife resources.