Safety, efficacy and quality: Box 2 rey messages for policy-makers crucial to extending TI care g TM includes diverse health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs, incorporating medicines from Allopathic practitioners emphasize the scientific ap- plant, animal and/or mineral sources, spiritual proach of allopathic medicine, and contend that it therapies, manual techniques and exercises is free of cultural values. TM therapies have developed rather differently, having been very much influenced e TM is widely and increasingly used for a wide by the culture and historical conditions within which spectrum of diseases by people in both developed they first evolved. Their common basis is an holistic and developing countries. approach to life, equilibrium between the mind. g a growing number of countries are adopting national olicies on TM and developing specific regulatory capacity, especially for herbal medicines. Increasingly ountries are defining the role that TM plays in Box 3 policies and actions checklist national health care delivery systems * Scientific evidence from randomized clinical trials is Safety, efficacy and quality strong for many uses of acupuncture, for some herbal Establish registration and licensing of providers medicines and for some of the manual therapies Establish national regulation and registration of g. Nevertheless. much of the scientific literature on tm herbal medicines provides inadequate evidence on safety and efficacy Establish safety monitoring of herbal medicines and dividual case reports and patient series, with no ther TM therapies. control or comparison group e Provide selective support for clinical research into g Over-harvesting of medicinal plants threatens some use of TM for treating country's common health problems Protection and preservation of TM knowledge is g Develop national standards, and technical guidelines essential to ensure access to traditional forms of and methodology, for evaluating safety, efficacy and health care and respect for those who hold TM quality of TM knowledge. Intellectual property rights issues require g. Develop national pharmacopoeia and monographs of national and international attention medicinal plants. g Identify safe and effective TM therapies and Policy: generating sound action in tin e Support research into safe and effective treatme for those diseases which represent the greatest As of the year 2000, 25 countries reported having burden, particularly for poorer populations. f Recognize role of TM providers in providing health a national TM policy. Such a policy provides a sound basis for defining the role of TM in national health care delivery, ensuring that the necessary regulatory and g Optimize and upgrade the skills of TM providers. legal mechanisms are created for promoting and g Protect TM knowledge through recording and maintaining good practice, that access is equitable preservation. and that the authenticity, safety e Cultivate and conserve medicinal plants to ensure and efficacy of therapies are their sustainable use Rational use A national TM policy is urgently g Develop training guidelines for country's most needed in those developing commonly used TM therapies countries where the population e Strengthen and increase organization of TM depends largely on TM for health care, but without its having been well evaluated or integrated into the national health e Strengthen cooperation between TM providers and other health care providers. system. Many developed countries are now also find- ing that TM issues concerning, for example, safety f. Make reliable information on proper use of TM and quality, licensing of providers and standards therapies and products available for consumers of training, and priorities for research, can best g Improve communication between health care be tackled within the framework of a national tm providers and their patients concerning use of TM Page 2: WHO Policy Pers on medicines- Traditional medicine- Growing needs and PotentialPage 2: WHO Policy Perspectives on Medicines — Traditional Medicine – Growing Needs and Potential Box 2 Key messages for policy-makers ✥ TM includes diverse health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs, incorporating medicines from plant, animal and/or mineral sources, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises. ✥ TM is widely and increasingly used for a wide spectrum of diseases by people in both developed and developing countries. ✥ A growing number of countries are adopting national policies on TM and developing specific regulatory capacity, especially for herbal medicines. Increasingly, countries are defining the role that TM plays in national health care delivery systems. ✥ Scientific evidence from randomized clinical trials is strong for many uses of acupuncture, for some herbal medicines and for some of the manual therapies. ✥ Nevertheless, much of the scientific literature on TM provides inadequate evidence on safety and efficacy: individual case reports and patient series, with no control or comparison group. ✥ Over-harvesting of medicinal plants threatens some ecosystems. ✥ Protection and preservation of TM knowledge is essential to ensure access to traditional forms of health care and respect for those who hold TM knowledge. Intellectual property rights issues require national and international attention. Policy: generating sound action in TM As of the year 2000, 25 countries reported having a national TM policy. Such a policy provides a sound basis for defining the role of TM in national health care delivery, ensuring that the necessary regulatory and legal mechanisms are created for promoting and maintaining good practice, that access is equitable, and that the authenticity, safety and efficacy of therapies are assured. A national TM policy is urgently needed in those developing countries where the population depends largely on TM for health care, but without its having been well evaluated or integrated into the national health system. Many developed countries are now also find￾ing that TM issues concerning, for example, safety and quality, licensing of providers and standards of training, and priorities for research, can best be tackled within the framework of a national TM policy. Safety, efficacy and quality: crucial to extending TM care Allopathic practitioners emphasize the scientific ap￾proach of allopathic medicine, and contend that it is free of cultural values. TM therapies have developed rather differently, having been very much influenced by the culture and historical conditions within which they first evolved. Their common basis is an holistic approach to life, equilibrium between the mind, Box 3 Policies and actions checklist Safety, efficacy and quality ✥ Establish registration and licensing of providers. ✥ Establish national regulation and registration of herbal medicines. ✥ Establish safety monitoring of herbal medicines and other TM therapies. ✥ Provide selective support for clinical research into use of TM for treating country’s common health problems. ✥ Develop national standards, and technical guidelines and methodology, for evaluating safety, efficacy and quality of TM. ✥ Develop national pharmacopoeia and monographs of medicinal plants. Access ✥ Identify safe and effective TM therapies and products. ✥ Support research into safe and effective treatment for those diseases which represent the greatest burden, particularly for poorer populations. ✥ Recognize role of TM providers in providing health care. ✥ Optimize and upgrade the skills of TM providers. ✥ Protect TM knowledge through recording and preservation. ✥ Cultivate and conserve medicinal plants to ensure their sustainable use. Rational use ✥ Develop training guidelines for country’s most commonly used TM therapies. ✥ Strengthen and increase organization of TM providers. ✥ Strengthen cooperation between TM providers and other health care providers. ✥ Make reliable information on proper use of TM therapies and products available for consumers. ✥ Improve communication between health care providers and their patients concerning use of TM