WHO Traditional Medicine Global Strategy 2025-2034

 New WHO Traditional Medicine Global Strategy

Traditional and Complementary Medicine is an important and often underestimated health resource with many applications, especially in the prevention and management of lifestyle-related chronic diseases, and in meeting the health needs of ageing populations., according to World Health Organization.

The theme of the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly this year is: One World for Health.

According WHO, "Traditional Medicine refers to codified or non-codified systems for healthcare and well-being, comprising practices, skills, knowledge and philosophies originating in different historical and cultural contexts, which are distinct from and pre-date biomedicine, evolving with science for current use from an experience-based origin. Traditional Medicine emphasizes nature-based remedies and holistic, personalized approaches to restore balance of mind, body and environment."

"WHO emphasizes the principle of “do no harm” and consistently refutes any claims that are not

supported by scientific evidence."

The new WHO Strategy not imply a preference for Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine practice over biomedical practice, but seeks to harness the potential contribution of TCIM to health and well-being based on evidence.

The draft strategy is also designed to prevent misinformation, disinformation and malinformation while ensuring an evidence-based approach to TCIM, reported the international health organization.

Strategic objectives, directions and actions include providing appropriate regulatory mechanisms for TCIM practices and practitioners. Regulatory frameworks should be aligned with TCIM policies to support the preservation and strengthening of TCIM knowledge and practices that are safe and effective, while preventing misappropriation. 

Regulatory frameworks should consider appropriate standards for EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES, CERTIFICATION AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS to ensure that TCIM practitioners have the knowledge and

skills to deliver safe and effective care. 

Between the actions for Member States are establish appropriate regulatory mechanisms to PROMOTE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE TCIM PRACTICES, develop standards, guidelines and codes of conduct to promote responsible and accountable TCIM practices for example WHO Benchmarks for training in traditional / complementary and alternative medicine, WHO benchmarks for the training of ayurveda,  benchmarks for training in traditional Chinese medicine, WHO guidelines on developing consumer information on proper use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine, WHO benchmarks for the practice of acupuncture, WHO Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Acupuncture, among others.

 Another actions: adopt or refer to WHO technical documents in developing minimum training

requirements; set training requirements for TCIM practitioners, including ongoing professional

development and collect, analyse and use data on the TCIM health workforce for improved planning and

accountability.

Among actions for the WHO Secretariat are develop a WHO international classification and qualification framework for TCIM practitioners and provide technical guidance to countries; develop and/or update WHO technical documents in TCIM, improve health workforce data on TCIM practitioners through regular reporting in the WHO National Health Workforce Accounts Data Portal and complementary surveys and reports; and facilitate information sharing between Member States and partners regarding approaches to and experiences with the regulation of TCIM practices and practitioners in different settings.

Finally, between the actions for partners and stakeholders are promote a dialogue between TCIM professional associations with regulatory authorities

for standards pertaining to EDUCATION, practices and PRACTITIONERS; encouragement regulators, training institutions and professional organizations to support

national and local health workforce data collection, analysis and use for improved planning and accountability; and support research on the impact  of regulatory systems in reference to patient safety and population health outcomes.

The integration of safe and effective TCIM into health systems will play a key role in the reorienting of health services. TCIM can be integrated into ALL of the building blocks of a health system, covering all levels of healthcare across the care continuum and life course, in line with the political declaration of the high-level meeting on universal health coverage adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2023. 

Among the actions for Member States is Facilitate the integration of education between traditional and complementary medicine and biomedicine.

Who recommends this actions for partners and stakeholders:

1 Support the development of a national framework or policy that prioritizes health and well-being in which traditional and complementary medicine and biomedicine health practitioners collaborate and coordinate in the delivery of health services.

2 Encourage traditional and complementary medicine and biomedicine educational institutions to integrate their curricula to promote interprofessional collaboration.

3 Educational institutions should consider the establishment and maintenance of TCIM divisions.

And those for the WHO Secretariat:

• Develop WHO guidance on the integration of safe and effective TCIM into national health systems. 

• Organize activities to support Member States in the integration of TCIM as well its monitoring and evaluation. 

• Support Member States in initiating and improving institutional education curricula on appropriate knowledge and skills of traditional and complementary medicine in biomedicine schools and vice versa in traditional and complementary medicine schools.

About integration, WHO said that an increasing research base demonstrates TCIM’s promise across the care continuum, including in the areas of health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. In this respect, it is essential to conduct evidence reviews on the impact of safe and effective TCIM services. Integrated health services occur when biomedicine and TCIM are proven safe and effective, and are aligned or complementary, including in the clinical pathway, thus providing users with the seamless care they need, including mutual respect and coordination between practitioners to achieve the common goal of people-centred care.

Source:

https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA78/A78_4Add1-en.pdf