TRADITIONAL Chinese medicine (TCM) has been spread to 183 countries and regions around the world, according to a white paper released by the State Council Information Office yesterday.

    According to the World Health Organization, 103 member states have given approval to the practice of acupuncture and moxibustion, 29 have enacted special statutes on traditional medicine, and 18 have included acupuncture and moxibustion treatment in their medical insurance provisions, said the white paper, titled “Traditional Chinese Medicine in China.”

    TCM medicines have gradually entered the international system of medicines, and some of them have been registered in countries like Russia, Cuba, Vietnam, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, according to the white paper.

    The World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies, headquartered in China, has 194 member organizations from 53 countries and regions, and the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies has 251 member organizations from 67 countries and regions, it said.

    The Chinese Government is also giving support to the global development of traditional medicine.

    In accordance with initiatives of the Chinese Government, the 62nd and 67th World Health Assemblies passed two resolutions on traditional medicine, and urged its member states to implement the WHO’s Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023, the white paper said.

    Currently, the Chinese Government has signed 86 TCM cooperation agreements with other countries and international organizations, and has supported the building of 10 TCM centers overseas, it said.

    The white paper stressed China’s efforts in providing TCM medical aid overseas.

    To date, China has sent medical teams to over 70 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, with TCM professionals in almost every team, accounting for 10 percent of the total number of staff. A project has been launched to build TCM centers in African countries and specialized TCM stations have opened in Kuwait, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Malta and Namibia.

    The contribution of TCM and integrated Chinese and Western medicine in treating SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) has been affirmed by the WHO, the white paper said.

    Also, TCM treatment of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 has yielded satisfactory results, arousing widespread attention in the international community. TCM has made distinctive contributions to the prevention and control of epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, HFMD (hand, foot and mouth disease) and H7N9 in humans.

    In recent years, China has strengthened work in the prevention and control of AIDS and malaria in developing countries, and in African countries in particular, sending a total of 400 TCM specialists to more than 40 countries including Tanzania, Comoros and Indonesia.

    (Xinhua)