Press Release
WHO holds technical meeting on classification of traditional medicine in Hong Kong
2 May 2012
About 40 experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and six countries including Australia, China, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands and the United States today (May 2) joined local experts in a four-day meeting to further discuss and develop the International Classification of Traditional Medicine (ICTM) project.
The project aims to develop an international standard set of harmonized terminology and classification for traditional medicine to facilitate the integration of traditional medicine into the WHO Family of International Classification which is crucial to the global development of traditional medicine.
The event, entitled “International Classification of Traditional Medicine Annual Network Meeting” is organised by WHO with support from the Department of Health (DH).
Addressing the opening ceremony, the Director of Health, Dr P Y Lam said that traditional medicine was a significant part of health care and had gained popularity in various cultures and jurisdictions.
“The WHO has well recognised that traditional medicine provides a basic tenet for primary care,” said Dr Lam, adding that back in 2008, the WHO Congress on Traditional Medicine adopted the Beijing Declaration on Traditional Medicine, calling for Member States’ support to integrate traditional medicine into the national health systems.
Dr Lam said he was pleased that the WHO has initiated the ICTM project and commended that it was a significant move towards modernization of traditional medicine and its integration into the WHO Family of International Classification.
“This project would not only develop a set of standardised terminologies and classifications that will facilitate exchange of information within and beyond the traditional medicine field, but would also serve as a building block of the future health information systems,” he said.
About 40 experts from the World Health Organization and six countries including Australia, China, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands and the United States today (May 2) joined local experts in a four-day meeting to further discuss and develop the International Classification of Traditional Medicine project.