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
