Rational use: ensuring WHO Expert Committees and Collaborating Centres appropriateness for Traditional Medicine, as well as through work with a broad range of partners with diverse interests in TM The strategy provides a framework for action for WHO Rational use of TM has many aspects, including: quali- fication and licensing of providers: proper use of and its partners, to enable Tm to play a far greater good-quality products; good communication be- role in reducing excess mortality and morbidity, es- tween TM providers, allopathic practitioners and rates four objectives relating to: policy: safety, efficacy patients; and provision of scientific information and and quality: access; and rational use (Table 1) guidance for the public knowledge, qualifications and implement it. Use of critical indicators(such as num- training of TM providers are ad- ber of countries with a national tradi equate. Secondly, using training to ensure that TM providers and tional medicine policy, and number of countries with laws and regula- modern health care profession- tions on herbal medicines) will help is understand and appreciate measure progress under each of the complementarity of the the strategy objectives. Addition- types of health care they offer. ally, several surveys relating to policy and regulation and use, will be carried out Proper use of good quality products can also do much to reduce risks associated with TM products in cooperation with Member States and NGOs to assess progress. such as herbal medicines. However, regulation and registration of herbal medicines are not well devel- oped in most countries, and the quality of ucts sold is generally not guaranteed. Mor many Box 4 Organizations working on are sold as over-the-counter or dietary supplements traditional medicine issues Much more stringent control of TM products Nongovernmental organizations(NGOs) Worldwide, many NGOs are working in the field of More work is also needed to raise aware- traditional medicine. Just a few examples are given ness of safe and appropriate use of TM Side-effects following reactions between orationhttp://www.cochrane.org herbal medicines and chemical drugs can cochrane/general. htm occur. Yet many patients do not inform their FordFoundation:http://www.fordfound.org allopathic practitioners that they are taking herbal Pro.me.TrA:http://www.prometra.org/ medicines Information, education and communica- WorldWideFundforNature:http://www.panda.org tion strategies could overcome such problems WorldConservationUnion:http://www.iucn.org Global professional associations WHO's role in meeting Liga Medicorum Homeopathica Internationalis (iNternationalHomeopathicMedicalLeague):http:// challenges in TIll /ww.Imhinet/ WorldFederationofcHiropractichttp:/www.wfc.org To meet growing challenges in the area of TM, WHO WorldSelf-medicAtionIndustryhttp://www.wsmi.org has formulated a comprehensive working TM strat- egy for 2002-2005. Flexible enough to integrate the Specific initiatives also exist needs of each WHO Region and Member State, it also Global Initiative for Traditional Systems of Health addresses issues relating to national policy, safety http://users.ox.ac.uk/-gree0179/ and efficacy, access, and rational use of TM Research Initiative on traditional Anti-malarial Methods. http://mim.nihgovlenglish/partnerships/ritam eveloped through applica tation with WHO Regional Offices and Member States 3 Given the considerable regional diversity in the use and role of TM, and the difficulties that persist in defining precise terminology for describing TM therapies and products, and in assessing the reliability of methodologies used to collect TM data, the strategy must be regarded as a working documen only, that may later have to be modified Page 4: WHO Policy Perspectives on edicines- Traditional medicine -Growing needs and PotentPage 4: WHO Policy Perspectives on Medicines — Traditional Medicine – Growing Needs and Potential Rational use: ensuring appropriateness Rational use of TM has many aspects, including: quali￾fication and licensing of providers; proper use of good-quality products; good communication be￾tween TM providers, allopathic practitioners and patients; and provision of scientific information and guidance for the public. Challenges in education and training are at least twofold. Firstly, ensuring that the knowledge, qualifications and training of TM providers are ad￾equate. Secondly, using training to ensure that TM providers and modern health care profession￾als understand and appreciate the complementarity of the types of health care they offer. Proper use of good quality products can also do much to reduce risks associated with TM products such as herbal medicines. However, regulation and registration of herbal medicines are not well devel￾oped in most countries, and the quality of herbal prod￾ucts sold is generally not guaranteed. Moreover, many are sold as over-the-counter or dietary supplements. Much more stringent control of TM products is needed. More work is also needed to raise aware￾ness of safe and appropriate use of TM. Side-effects following reactions between herbal medicines and chemical drugs can occur. Yet many patients do not inform their allopathic practitioners that they are taking herbal medicines. Information, education and communica￾tion strategies could overcome such problems. WHO’s role in meeting challenges in TM To meet growing challenges in the area of TM, WHO has formulated a comprehensive working TM strat￾egy for 2002–2005.3 Flexible enough to integrate the needs of each WHO Region and Member State, it also addresses issues relating to national policy, safety and efficacy, access, and rational use of TM. The strategy was developed through broad consul￾tation with WHO Regional Offices and Member States, WHO Expert Committees and Collaborating Centres for Traditional Medicine, as well as through work with a broad range of partners with diverse interests in TM. The strategy provides a framework for action for WHO and its partners, to enable TM to play a far greater role in reducing excess mortality and morbidity, es￾pecially among impoverished populations. It incorpo￾rates four objectives relating to: policy; safety, efficacy and quality; access; and rational use (Table 1). Many of the organizations and individuals who contributed to development of the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002–2005 will work with WHO to implement it. Use of critical indicators (such as num￾ber of countries with a national tradi￾tional medicine policy, and number of countries with laws and regula￾tions on herbal medicines) will help measure progress under each of the strategy objectives. Addition￾ally, several surveys relating to policy, and regulation and use, will be carried out in cooperation with Member States and NGOs to assess progress. 3 Given the considerable regional diversity in the use and role of TM, and the difficulties that persist in defining precise terminology for describing TM therapies and products, and in assessing the reliability of methodologies used to collect TM data, the strategy must be regarded as a working document only, that may later have to be modified. Box 4 Organizations working on traditional medicine issues Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) Worldwide, many NGOs are working in the field of traditional medicine. Just a few examples are given here. Cochrane Collaboration: http://www.cochrane.org/ cochrane/general.htm Ford Foundation: http://www.fordfound.org/ PRO.ME.TRA: http://www.prometra.org/ World Wide Fund for Nature: http://www.panda.org/ World Conservation Union: http://www.iucn.org/ Global professional associations Liga Medicorum Homeopathica Internationalis (International Homeopathic Medical League): http:// www.lmhi.net/ World Federation of Chiropractic: http://www.wfc.org World Self-Medication Industry: http://www.wsmi.org/ Specific initiatives also exist Global Initiative for Traditional Systems of Health: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~gree0179/ Research Initiative on Traditional Anti-malarial Methods: http://mim.nih.gov/english/partnerships/ritam_ application.pdf