UNESCO GUIDELINES FOR ACTION TM as a branch of medicine

Traditional Medicine as a branch of medicine 

The Beijing Declaration, which was the key outcome of the first WHO Congress on Traditional

Medicine held on that organization’s sixtieth anniversary and the thirtieth anniversary of the

Declaration of Alma-Ata, for the first time offered international acknowledgement of the role of

traditional medicine in health care. The Declaration clearly reaffirmed the need to regard these

practices as something that “should be respected, preserved, promoted and communicated widely

and appropriately based on the circumstances in each country” and the responsibility of individual

governments to “ensure appropriate, safe and effe

ctive use of traditional medicine” through

suitable policies, regulations and standards.

Ensuring the safety, efficacy and quality of traditional

medicine is a priority inasmuch as it must be

respected, preserved and promoted

as a branch of medicine

. Assessment of the outcomes of

traditional medicine is therefore essential. Prior to

any legislation, it is important to establish

procedures for assessing these practices properly

. Methodological discussion of research into and

assessment of traditional medicine is usually divided into two fields: herbal medicines and

traditional non-medical therapies. However, effective treatment is often the result of synergy

between both types of therapy. Consequently, the

efficacy of traditional medicine must be

assessed as a whole, taking into considerat

ion both types of treatment. The assessment of

traditional medicine may thus be quite different

from that of modern medicine. It is therefore

extremely important that such assessment

take place through continuing dialogue between

traditional practitioners, researchers in the field of traditional medicine, scientific experts, and

representatives of the cultures concerned. Responsibility must be shared and imposition of cultural

frameworks and practices is to be avoided.

Although traditional practice is deeply rooted in specific cultures, a global strategy is called for. It

would be advisable to establish a regularly updated global database together with international

forums for sharing experience and agreeing on procedures. It must also be stressed that this type

of medicine, with its age-old history, must not be barred from innovation-oriented work and

research. Traditional medicine must be taken serious

ly as a branch of medicine; capacity-building

is also a challenge in this respect.