111th Session Agenda item 5.7
EB111.R12 24 January 2003
Traditional medicine The Executive Board, Having considered the report on traditional medicine,1 RECOMMENDS to the Fifty-sixth World Health Assembly the adoption of the following resolution: The Fifty-sixth World Health Assembly, Recalling resolutions WHA22.54, WHA29.72, WHA30.49, WHA31.33, WHA40.33, WHA41.19, WHA42.43 and WHA54.11; Noting that the terms “complementary”, “alternative” or “nonconventional” medicine are used to cover many types of nonstandard health services which involve varying levels of training and efficacy; Noting that the term “traditional medicine” covers a wide variety of therapies and practices which vary greatly from country to country and from region to region; Being aware that traditional, complementary, or alternative medicine has many positive features, and that traditional medicine and its practitioners play an important role in treating chronic illnesses, and improving the quality of life of those suffering from minor illness or from certain incurable diseases; Recognizing that traditional medicinal knowledge is the property of communities and nations where that knowledge originated, and should be fully respected; Noting that the major challenges to the use of traditional medicine include the lack of organized networks of traditional practitioners, and of sound evidence of the safety, efficacy and quality of traditional medicine; and the need for measures to ensure proper use of traditional medicine and to protect and preserve the traditional knowledge and natural resources necessary for its sustainable application, and for training and licensing of traditional practitioners;
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Document EB111/9.
EB111.R12
Noting further that many Member States have taken action to support the proper use of traditional medicine in their health service systems, 1. TAKES NOTE of WHO’s strategy for traditional medicine, and its four main objectives of framing policy, enhancing safety, efficacy and quality, ensuring access, and promoting rational use; 2. URGES Member States: (1) to adapt, adopt and implement, where appropriate, WHO’s traditional medicine strategy as a basis for national traditional medicine programmes or work plans; (2) where appropriate, to draft and implement national policies and regulations on traditional and complementary and alternative medicine in support of the proper use of traditional medicine, and its integration into national health care systems, depending on the circumstances in their countries; (3) to recognize the role of certain traditional practitioners as one of the important resources of primary health care services, particularly in low-income countries, and in accordance with national circumstances; (4) to set up or expand and strengthen existing national drug-safety monitoring systems to monitor herbal medicines; (5) to provide due support for systematic research on traditional remedies;
(6) to take measures to protect and preserve traditional medical knowledge and medicinal plant resources for sustainable development of traditional medicine, including the intellectual property rights of traditional medicine practitioners, as provided for under national legislation consistent with international obligations; (7) to ensure, where appropriate and in accordance with national circumstances, provision of training and, if necessary, retraining of traditional medicine practitioners, and of a system for the qualification, accreditation or licensing of traditional medicine practitioners; (8) to promote sound use of traditional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine by consumers and providers; 3. REQUESTS the Director-General: (1) to facilitate the efforts of interested Member States to draft national policies and regulations on traditional and complementary and alternative medicine, and to promote exchange of information and collaboration on national policy and regulation of traditional medicine among Member States; (2) to provide technical support, including for development of methodology, preparation of guidelines, and promotion of exchange of information;
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EB111.R12
(3) to seek, together with WHO collaborating centres, evidence-based information on the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of traditional therapies so as to provide guidance to Member States on the definition of products to be included in national directives and proposals on traditional-medicine policy as used in national health systems; (4) to collaborate with other organizations of the United Nations system and nongovernmental organizations in various areas related to traditional medicine, including research, protection of traditional medical knowledge and conservation of medicinal plants resources; (5) to promote the important role of WHO collaborating centres on traditional medicine in implementing WHO’s traditional medicine strategy, particularly in strengthening research and training of human resources; (6) to allocate sufficient resources to traditional medicine at the global, regional and country levels of the Organization; (7) to report to the Fifty-eighth World Health Assembly, through the Executive Board, on progress made in implementing this resolution.
Ninth meeting, 24 January 2003 EB111/SR/9 = = =
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