Dear HIFA colleagues, the latest WHO update includes an item on the World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026, which starts tomorrow. Comment from me below.
https://hq_who_departmentofcommunications.cmail19.com/t/d-e-wtrbdl-hlddy...
'The World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 is set to take place in Beijing from Oct 17 to 18... The event will be hosted by the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, the National Health Commission, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the National Medical Products Administration, in collaboration with the World Health Organization. The theme for this year's conference is "Technology Empowerment and Integrated Development: Advancing Traditional Medicine for All."... providing a platform to enhance global access to traditional and complementary medicine and to promote its integration into healthcare systems worldwide.'
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202609/24/WS6ab4d742e4b06d4aa056008f.html
COMMENT (NPW): I was unable to find the website for the conference (the above URL is for a news item). The news item says the conference aims to 'integrate' traditional and complementary medicine into healthcare systems. But some of us would argue that the first priority is to demonstrate which treatments are both safe and effective, with a view to integration specifically of those treatments.
Meanwhile a very similar-sounding conference is taking place in Japan. 'The World Conference on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (WCTIM-2026) will take place from November 26–28, 2026, in Osaka, Japan. The conference will bring together leading experts, researchers, and healthcare practitioners from around the world. It aims to explore the integration of traditional, complementary, and modern medical systems. Key focus areas include Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbal therapies, and holistic healing approaches...'
https://globalhealth.org/event/world-conference-on-traditional-complemen...
Knowledge translation of evidence from traditional and complementary medicine would make an excellent topic for a HIFA Spotlight. If you would like to sponsor or co-sponsor a Spotlight on this topic (and support HIFA at the same time - total cost £500 or $650), please let us know: neil@hifa.org
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org