Topic: WHO congress backs traditional medicine

[sam]

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/081112/full/456152a.html?s=news_rss

The World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed an international agreement that promises to give traditional medicines a foothold in health systems around the world.

At its first Congress on Traditional Medicine in Beijing on 8 November, the WHO unveiled the 'Beijing Declaration'. The declaration calls on member states of the United Nations to formulate policies for ensuring the safe and effective use of traditional medicines, to create systems for licensing practitioners, and to encourage communication between Western and traditional practitioners.

China in particular has long been keen on the international acceptance of traditional medicines. But researchers have had difficulty pinning down and standardizing the active ingredients, as these are often found in plant extracts that have regional or seasonal variations. Because of this, drug regulatory agencies around the world have hesitated to approve their use.

[Clive]

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