Why Us – World Traditional Medicine

INTRODUCTION

According to WHO across the world, traditional medicine (TM) is either the main state of healthcare delivery or serves as complement to it. In some countries traditional medicine or non-conventional medicine may be turned complementary medicine (CM). The traditional medicine and complementary medicine is an important and often underestimated part of health care. Traditional and complementary medicine is found in all most every country in the world and the demand for its services is increasing. Traditional medicine of proven quality, safety and efficacy, contributes to the goals of ensuring that all the people have access to care. Many countries now recognize the need to develop a cohesive and integrative approach to healthcare that allows Government, health care practitioner and most importantly, those who healthcare services to access traditional and complementary medicine in a safe, respectful cost efficient and effective manner. More countries have gradually come to accept the contribution that tradition and complementary medicine can make to the health and well being of individuals and to the comprehensiveness of their healthcare system.

Traditional Medicine has a long history of use in health maintenance and in disease prevention and treatment, particularly for chronic disease. The WHO traditional medicine strategy 2014 to 2023 help- care leaders to develop solutions that contribute to a broader vision of improve health and patient autonomy.

AIMS

To support member states in developing proactive policies and implementing action plans that will strengthen the role Traditional Medicine plays in keeping population healthy.

OBJECTIVES

Rational use

Promote therapeutically sound use of appropriate traditional medicine by practitioner and consumers.

Safety, Efficacy and Quality

Promote safety efficacy and quality of TM by expanding the knowledge the base, providing guidance on regulatory and quality assurance standards.

Access

Increase the availability and affordability of traditional medicine, with an emphasis on access for poor populations

Policy

Integrate TM within national health care systems, where feasible, by developing and implementing national traditional medicine policies and programmes

Goals

To support members state in harnessing the potential contribution of traditional and complementary medicine to health, wellness and people central healthcare.
To promote the safe and effective use of traditional and complementary medicine through regulation of products practices and practitioner.

KEY STRATEGY

Build the knowledge base that will allow T&CM to be managed actively through appropriate national policies that understand and recognize the role potential of T&C.
Strengthen the quality assurance, safety, proper use and effectiveness of T&CM education and training, skills development, services and therapies.
Promote universal health coverage by integrating T&CM services into health service delivery and self-health care by capitalizing on their potential contribution to improve health services and health outcomes, and by ensuring users are able to make informed choices about self-health care

T&CM DEFINITIONS

1. Traditional medicine (TM)

Traditional medicine has long history. it is the sum total of the knowledge,skill,and practice based on the theories belief, and experiences indigenous tondifferent cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.

(http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/traditional/definitions/en/).

2. Complementary Medicine (CM)

“Complementary Medicine” or “Alternative Medicine” Refer to a broad set of health care practices that are not part of that country’s own tradition or conventional medicine and are not fully integrated into the dominal health-care system.They are used interchangeably with traditional medicine in some countries.

(http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/traditional/definitions/en/).