WHO over Traditionele Geneeskunde

In November heeft de WHO een duidelijk statement afgegeven over de waarde van traditionele geneeskunde. De WHO geeft allereerst een duidelijke definitie van traditionele geneeskunde:

Traditional medicine is the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness. 

Dus: Traditionele geneeskunde is de som van kennis, vakkundigheid en praktijk op basis van theorieën, geloof en inheemse bevindingen van verschillende culturen – al dan niet verklaarbaar – gebruikt voor het in stand houden van de gezondheid, maar ook toegepast bij preventie, diagnose, verbetering of behandeling van lichamelijke en geestelijke klachten.

De WHO organiseerde een driedaags congres in Beijing (China) over alternatieve en traditionele geneeskunde. De WHO wijst erop dat de toepassing van traditionele geneeskunde (TG) in de afgelopen jaren duidelijk gewijzigd is. Beschikbaarheid en de toegankelijkheid van TG zijn sterk toegenomen, met name in ontwikkelingslanden (bron: www.who.int/medicines/areas/traditional).

De WHO meldt ook dat 70-80% van de bevolking van India en Ethiopië voor basiszorg afhankelijk is van TG. En dat de westerse landen volgens de WHO steeds vaker TG toepassen. Volgens de WHO maken 70% van de Canadezen en 80% van de Duitsers gebruik van TG en alternatieve behandelvormen.

De WHO ondersteunde met dit congres het uitwisselen van ervaringen tussen WHO-lidstaten en om te bewerkstelligen dat TG en alternatieve geneeswijzen in nationale gezondheidsprogramma’s opgenomen worden.

WHO statement

Beijing Declaration 

Adopted by the WHO Congress on Traditional Medicine, Beijing, China, 8 November 2008 

Participants at the World Health Organization Congress on Traditional Medicine, meeting in Beijing this eighth day of 

November in the year two thousand and eight;  

Recalling the International Conference on Primary Health Care at Alma Ata thirty years ago and noting that people 

have the right and duty to participate individually and collectively in the planning and implementation of their health 

care, which may include access to traditional medicine; 

Recalling World Health Assembly resolutions promoting traditional medicine, including WHA56.31 on Traditional 

Medicine of May 2003; 

Noting that the term "traditional medicine" covers a wide variety of therapies and practices which may vary greatly 

from country to country and from region to region, and that traditional medicine may also be referred to as alternative 

or complementary medicine; 

Recognizing traditional medicine as one of the resources of primary health care services to increase availability and 

affordability and to contribute to improve health outcomes including those mentioned in the Millennium Development 

Goals; 

Recognizing that Member States have different domestic legislation, approaches, regulatory responsibilities and 

delivery models; 

Noting that progress in the field of traditional medicine has been obtained in a number of Member States through 

implementation of the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002-2005; 

Expressing the need for action and cooperation by the international community, governments, and health professionals 

and workers, to ensure proper use of traditional medicine as an important component contributing to the health of all 

people, in accordance with national capacity, priorities and relevant legislation; 

In accordance with national capacities, priorities, relevant legislation and circumstances, hereby make the following 

Declaration: 

I. The knowledge of traditional medicine, treatments and practices should be respected, preserved, promoted and 

communicated widely and appropriately based on the circumstances in each country. 

II. Governments have a responsibility for the health of their people and should formulate national policies, regulations and 

standards, as part of comprehensive national health systems to ensure appropriate, safe and effective use of traditional 

medicine. 

III. Recognizing the progress of many governments to date in integrating traditional medicine into their national health 

systems, we call on those who have not yet done so to take action. 

IV. Traditional medicine should be further developed based on research and innovation in line with the "Global strategy