Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM)

Making waves: WHO’s Global Traditional Medicine Strategy gathers momentum for integrative healthcare research.

WHO Strategy Aims to Advance Evidence-Based TCIM

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched its Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034, aiming to "advance the contribution of TCIM to achieving the highest attainable standard of health and well-being". While many countries are developing TCIM policies and regulations to improve public access to a broader range of treatments, Australia has yet to follow this trend.

TCIM in Australia: Current Landscape

  • High usage of TCIM among Australians
  • Well-regulated and generally safe TCIM products
  • Limited knowledge among doctors about TCIM interactions, quality, and scope of practice
  • Minimal statutory regulation of TCIM practitioners, making it challenging to identify reputable providers

WHO's Integration Initiative

A key objective of the WHO's strategy is to "integrate safe and effective TCIM into health systems". Dr Rachel Canaway, an academic from the Department of General Practice & Primary Care, represents the Western Pacific region in a WHO Expert Consultation developing a TCIM Integration Action Framework. This framework acknowledges that there's no 'one size fits all' approach to integration and will provide guidelines for assessing and implementing various models.

Dr Canaway's Research and Roles

  • Chair of the University of Melbourne's Integrative Healthcare Special Interest Group (SIG)
  • Advisor to the WONCA Integrative Medicine SIG
  • Lead investigator in several TCIM-related studies

Recent research by Dr Canaway, involving 697 participants from various health-related fields, shows strong support for greater utilisation of TCIM practitioners in Australia, particularly to enhance health promotion and disease prevention efforts.

Call for Global TCIM Integration Stories

Dr Canaway's latest study seeks real-world examples of TCIM integration (or lack thereof) from around the world. These stories will help contextualise quantitative data, such as that found in the WHO's Global Report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2019.

For more information or to contribute an example, visit: TCIM Integration Study

To join the Interdisciplinary Integrative Healthcare SIG or Community Research Engagement Network, visit: Membership Forms