WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy Research Articles

Setting a dutch integrative medicine research agenda: Results of a consensus-based strategy

IntroductionThe WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023 emphasises the significance of traditional medicine systems for preventing and treating diseases, worldwide. As a result, many countries have developed national research programmes and research institutes dealing with traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) (WHO Global Report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine, Geneva, 2019) or integrative medicine (IM). Despite considerable public interest in IM in the Netherlands, no Dutch programme or research institute has been established, yet. In 2018, a consortium for integrative care and health was founded, and developed a national research agenda with research priorities for the Netherlands. MethodsThe consensus-based strategy for developing the research agenda involved: (1) conducting a literature review, (2) organising an online consensus meeting with a select group of integrative medicine (IM) experts, (3) conducting a survey among IM stakeholders, and (4) organising a second consensus meeting with the same group of IM experts to discuss the survey results and further refine the research agenda. Snowball sampling was used to recruit IM stakeholders, starting from a list of those interested in or connected to IM. ResultsNinety-two stakeholders completed the survey. The most promising research areas were oncology, pain management and palliative care. Respondents awarded the highest priority to research on the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and safety of IM interventions. Directions for research included mind–body interventions, biological interventions and whole medical systems. Moreover, respondents strongly recommended developing reliable patient information tools. Facilitators for IM implementation were increasing attention on prevention, the rising incidence of chronic diseases and the shift from disease-focused to health-focused approaches. The identified barriers included a lack of knowledge about IM, the absence of health insurance reimbursement for complementary medicine, and governance structures of healthcare organisations. ConclusionsThe first Dutch IM research agenda was developed based on consensus among Dutch healthcare professionals, along with input from a smaller group of patients and researchers. This agenda provides clear research directions and distinguishes both positive developments and barriers for IM in the Netherlands.

Benefits of Mainstreaming Herbal Medicine in the Philippine Healthcare System

Benefits of Mainstreaming Herbal Medicine in the Philippine Healthcare System

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The WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014 -2023 was developed with the objective to promote UHC by integrating traditional and complementary medicine service into health care service delivery and self-health care. The report was released on May 2019 to support 179 member states in implementing action plans that will strengthen the role traditional medicine can play to keep the populations healthy. The strategy pays more attention to prioritizing health services and systems including traditional and complementary medicine products, practices and practitioners.

Medicinal Chemistry of Alternative Therapeutics: Novelty and Hopes with Genus Ammannia.

The plants have formed the basis of folklore remedy since the beginning of human civilization. The cumulative human endeavor and experience over a period of thousands of years developed into well to organize traditional medicine systems viz. Ayurvedic, Unani, Chinese amongst others. Across the world, traditional medicine is either the mainstay of health care or serves as a complement to modern drugs. In view of worldwide use of traditional medicines, World Health Organization launched 'WHO-Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023' for the development of strong policies regarding knowledge-base, safety, quality-control and effectiveness of traditional/alternative therapeutics for national health systems. Besides their use in traditional medicine, plants have always been a good source of modern drug/pharmacologically active molecules. More than half of the modern pharmaceuticals are either plant isolates or their derivatives. The plant-based drugs are not only effective, but have better compatibility with human biological systems because of more biologically relevant chemistry, hence lesser side effects. Some of the species of genus Ammannia (Lythraceae) have been reported for their magical medicinal values. Many herbal formulations containing Ammannia spp. have been patented for treatment of serious diseases/disorders like cancer, spinal disease, human female infertility, chronic tonsillitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, treatment of bladder stones, urinary tract infections, dermatitis etc. The uses of Ammannia spp. in traditional medicine have been further verified by the biological activities of their extracts as well as isolation of bioactive phytomolecules. The current review provides details about Ammannia spp.; its use in folklore remedy, herbal formulations, biological activities of extracts, isolation of bioactive phytomolecules and SAR study of semi-synthetic derivatives to analyze the possibility of new drug molecules of plant origin.

Impact of evidence-based healthcare education for Chinese medicine practitioners: A pre-post evaluation

WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-23 recommended evidence-based healthcare (EBHC) education for traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) professionals, including Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs). We evaluated the impact of a customized educational workshop on Hong Kong CMPs’ knowledge, attitude and practice of EBHC.Two validated instruments, Evidence-based Practice Questionnaire (EPQ) and Evidence-based Practice Inventory (EPI), were used to assess the impact of EBHC education. Paired t-tests were used to compare scores before and after the workshop. Multiple linear regression was performed to explore the associations between changes in EPQ/EPI scores and CMPs’ characteristics.CMPs who completed the workshop (n = 59) demonstrated significant improvements in the attitude (p = 0.013) and knowledge domains of the EPQ (p = 0.005). Significant improvements were also observed in the attitude, perceived behavioural control, decision making, and intention and behaviour domains of the EPI. CMPs who had never received prior EBHC training showed a larger magnitude of improvement in the EPI attitude (p = 0.032), decision making (p = 0.015), and intention and behaviour (p = 0.015) domains post-workshop.Our findings suggest that tailored workshop is effective in strengthening knowledge and in improving attitudes towards EBHC. Future RCTs should be conducted to affirm our findings. Future initiatives may consider incorporating this education approach into CMP curricula, as well as facilitating implementation of EBHC in routine Chinese medicine practice.

First Thoughts on a New Era for JACM.

First Thoughts on a New Era for JACM.

Use of traditional medicine in middle-income countries: a WHO-SAGE study.

It is frequently stated in the scientific literature, official reports and the press that 80% of Asian and African populations use traditional medicine (TM) to meet their healthcare needs; however, this statistic was first reported in 1983. This study aimed to update knowledge of the prevalence of TM use and the characteristics of those who access it, to inform health policy-makers as countries seek to fulfil the WHO TM strategy 2014–23 and harness TM for population health. Prevalence of reported use of TM was studied in 35 334 participants of the WHO-SAGE, surveyed 2007–10. TM users were compared with users of modern healthcare in univariate and multivariate analyses. Characteristics examined included age, sex, geography (urban/rural), income quintile, education, self-reported health and presence of specific chronic conditions. This study found TM use was highest in India, 11.7% of people reported that their most frequent source of care during the previous 3 years was TM; 19.0% reported TM use in the previous 12 months. In contrast <3% reported TM as their most frequent source of care in China, Ghana, Mexico, Russia and South Africa; and <2% reported using TM in the previous year in Ghana, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. In univariate analyses, poorer, less educated and rural participants were more likely to be TM-users. In the China multivariate analysis, rurality, poor self-reported health and presence of arthritis were associated with TM use; whereas diagnosed diabetes, hypertension and cataracts were less prevalent in TM users. In Ghana and India, lower income, depression and hypertension were associated with TM use. In conclusion, TM use is less frequent than commonly reported. It may be unnecessary, and perhaps futile, to seek to employ TM for population health needs when populations are increasingly using modern medicine.

Phytochemical variation: How to resolve the quality controversies of herbal medicinal products?

Plants and plant products possess therapeutic potential and are duly utilized for the production of traditional as well as modern medicines worldwide. It is evident that the chemical composition of a plant and possible synergy of its constituents impart therapeutic potential to a plant or plant product(s) (HMPs). However, genomic composition, developmental stage and ambient environmental conditions often cause spatio-temporal variation in the chemical profile of plants. Likewise, harvesting techniques, post-harvest processing, storage conditions, widespread use of pesticides, frequent adulteration and microbial contamination also cause a notable variation in chemical profile of medicinal plant material. The occurrence of phytochemical variation in plant material obtained from different geo-biological sources eventually induce discrepancies in its therapeutic profile. Consequently a variation in chemical composition and therapeutic profile of plant material causes routine complications for the validation of therapeutic efficiency and safety of HMPs.With the global upsurge in the usage of HMPs together with the concurrent reports on chemical variation, adulteration and safety concerns there is an urgent need to institute regulatory and diagnostic measures to meet the objectives of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023. In this regard, DNA based diagnosis and quantitative profiling of chemical markers accompanied by conventional purity measurements should provide a complete set of quality assurance for medicinal plant material and HMPs. The implementation of an integrated approach of DNA barcoding and quantitative metabolomics has therefore become essential to ascertain potency, purity, consistency and safety of medicinal plants as well as HMPs practised in traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kampo and other systems of traditional medicines worldwide.

Building WHO's global Strategy for Traditional Medicine

IntroductionIn 2012, WHO began the process for responding to the World Health Assembly Resolution on Traditional Medicine WHA62.13 and upgrading the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002–2005. MethodsOver the course of 18 months, the WHO developed a plan for developing the Strategy, by inviting a number of experts from around the world to contribute to the document. Four international collaborative meetings were held in order to collate international views and opinions. ResultsResulting from these meetings and consultations, the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023 was subsequently published in the fall of 2013. ConclusionsThe primary goal of the document was to provide strategic direction for Member States as they move forward with regulatory and policy development around traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM).This article belongs to the Special Issue: T & G Health Issue.

The Art and Science of Traditional Medicine Part 1: TCM Today — A Case for Integration

In this first installment of a three part series, "The Art and Science of Traditional Medicine," we present a series of articles making a case for the integration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) into modern medical practice. From the new WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy to the application of systems biology in studying TCM, we aim to highlight the potential for creating an integrated, network-based health care system. The next two issues will cover herbal genomics and highlight the importance of quality control, standardization, regulation, and safety for traditional therapies. An overview of indigenous medicines in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India, and the Americas will also be provided. This special supplement brought to you by the Science /AAAS Custom Publishing Office.

The Art and Science of Traditional Medicine Part 1: TCM Today — A Case for Integration

In this first installment of a three part series, "The Art and Science of Traditional Medicine," we present a series of articles making a case for the integration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) into modern medical practice. From the new WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy to the application of systems biology in studying TCM, we aim to highlight the potential for creating an integrated, network-based health care system. The next two issues will cover herbal genomics and highlight the importance of quality control, standardization, regulation, and safety for traditional therapies. An overview of indigenous medicines in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India, and the Americas will also be provided. This special supplement brought to you by the Science /AAAS Custom Publishing Office.

Extracting Molecular Information from African Natural Products to Facilitate Unique African-Led Drug-Discovery Efforts

Future Medicinal ChemistryVol. 3, No. 3 EditorialExtracting molecular information from African natural products to facilitate unique African-led drug-discovery effortsKelly Chibale, Eric M Guantai & Collen MasimirembwaKelly Chibale† Author for correspondenceDepartment of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa. Search for more papers by this authorEmail the corresponding author at kelly.chibale@uct.ac.za, Eric M GuantaiDepartment of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South AfricaSearch for more papers by this author & Collen MasimirembwaAiBST, African Institute of Biomedical Science & Technology, PO Box 2294, Harare, ZimbabweSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:29 Mar 2011https://doi.org/10.4155/fmc.10.299AboutSectionsView ArticleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInReddit View articleKeywords: ADME-guided medicinal chemistryAfricabiotransformationdrug discoveryinformaticsnatural productsPapers of special note have been highlighted as: ▪ of interest ▪▪ of considerable interestBibliography1 World Health Organization. WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002–2005. Geneva, Switzerland (2002).Google Scholar2 Newman DJ, Cragg GM. 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Today8(18),852–861 (2003).▪▪ An overview of predictive (in silico and in vitro) ADME-toxicity, and its role in drug discovery.Crossref, Medline, CAS, Google Scholar101 Queensland Compound Library www.griffith.edu.au/science/queensland-compound-libraryGoogle Scholar102 The University of Arizona’s Natural Products Database http://npd.chem.arizona.eduGoogle ScholarFiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited BySouth African Abietane Diterpenoids and Their Analogs as Potential Antimalarials: Novel Insights from Hybrid Computational Approaches7 November 2019 | Molecules, Vol. 24, No. 22A new approach for anthelmintic discovery for humansTrends in Parasitology, Vol. 28, No. 5Natural Product-Based Drug Discovery in Africa: The Need for Integration into Modern Drug Discovery Paradigms3 April 2012Searching for Drugs That Target Multiple Receptors for Anthelmintics from African Natural Products3 April 2012Application of In Silico, In Vitro and In Vivo ADMET/PK Platforms in Drug Discovery3 April 2012Synthesis, biological evaluation and mechanistic studies of totarol amino alcohol derivatives as potential antimalarial agentsBioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, Vol. 20, No. 2 Vol. 3, No. 3 Follow us on social media for the latest updates Metrics Downloaded 204 times History Published online 29 March 2011 Published in print March 2011 Information© Future Science LtdKeywordsADME-guided medicinal chemistryAfricabiotransformationdrug discoveryinformaticsnatural productsFinancial & competing interests disclosureThe authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.PDF download

WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy and Activities “Standardization with Evidence-based Approaches”

WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy and Activities “Standardization with Evidence-based Approaches”