WHO publishes new strategy for Traditional Medicine

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently published its strategy for traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) for the next decade: ‘The WHO Traditional Medicine (TM) Strategy 2014–2023.’

The goals of the strategy are to support Member States in:

• harnessing the potential contribution of TM to health, wellness and people-centred health care;
• promoting the safe and effective use of TM by regulating, researching and integrating TM products, practitioners and practice into health systems, where appropriate.

The strategy aims to support Member States in developing proactive policies and implementing action plans that will strengthen the role TM plays in keeping populations healthy.

A first analysis of the strategy shows that Eastern traditions, such as Chinese medicine, have a much greater representation in this strategy than European ones such as homeopathy or anthroposophic medicine. No doubt this is due to the degree of support and funding by Asian governments, in relation to support or funding from the West.

The document can be downloaded from: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/92455/1/9789241506090_eng.pdf