What is TCIM and why does WHO use this specific term?

WHO uses "Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine" (TCIM) as a comprehensive umbrella term for health practices that fall outside conventional biomedicine. "Traditional" acknowledges practices indigenous to specific cultures (acupuncture, Ayurveda, traditional African medicine). "Complementary" covers practices used alongside conventional medicine. "Integrative" reflects the direction of policy: combining conventional and TCIM approaches where evidence supports integration. The GMJ TCIM Desk uses this official WHO terminology exclusively.

How many people use TCIM globally?

WHO estimates that approximately 80% of the world's population uses some form of TCIM. In some countries — particularly in Africa and Asia — TCIM is the primary source of health care for the majority of the population, often because conventional biomedical care is inaccessible or unaffordable. In high-income countries, TCIM use is also substantial: surveys consistently find 30-50% of adults report using some form of complementary or alternative medicine.

What is the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034?

The WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 — endorsed by the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025 — is the global framework for advancing TCIM policy, evidence, integration and safety over the next decade. It builds on the 2014-2023 strategy and adds a stronger emphasis on evidence generation (through ICD-11), quality assurance, practitioner regulation and integration into primary health care systems. It calls for national TCIM policies in all member states.

What is artemisinin and why is it important for TCIM?

Artemisinin is an antimalarial compound extracted from Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood) — a plant used in Chinese traditional medicine for over 2,000 years to treat fever. It was isolated by Chinese scientist Tu Youyou in 1972, who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015. Artemisinin and its derivatives (artesunate, artemether) now form the backbone of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) — the standard first-line treatment for P. falciparum malaria globally. This is the most famous example of traditional medicine leading directly to a modern pharmaceutical.

TCIM is not inherently safe — the natural origin of a product does not make it safe or free of side effects. Documented risks include: hepatotoxicity from herbal preparations (kava, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, certain Ayurvedic herbs); nephrotoxicity from aristolochic acid (now banned in many countries); drug interactions (St John's Wort with antiretrovirals, anticoagulants); heavy metal contamination in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic preparations; and harm from delaying conventional treatment for serious conditions. WHO recommends that TCIM products and practices be subject to the same evidence and safety evaluation as conventional medicines.

What is ICD-11 Chapter 26 and why is it significant?

ICD-11 (the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, effective from 2022) introduced Chapter 26 — Supplementary Chapter on Traditional Medicine Conditions — for the first time. It includes diagnostic categories from traditional East Asian medicine systems (such as qi deficiency pattern, kidney yang deficiency, blood stasis pattern). This is historically significant because it enables international coding, epidemiological research and comparative effectiveness studies of traditional medicine conditions — a prerequisite for rigorous evidence generation.

What is the difference between traditional medicine and herbal medicine?

Herbal medicine — the use of plant-derived preparations for therapeutic purposes — is the largest component of traditional medicine globally but is not the only one. Traditional medicine systems also include acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, yoga, massage, mind-body practices, spiritual healing, dietary therapies and hundreds of other modalities. Herbal medicine, when standardised and subjected to clinical trials, can become conventional pharmacotherapy — as with artemisinin, morphine, digoxin, aspirin and many other medicines originally derived from plant sources.

How does acupuncture work according to WHO?

Acupuncture — inserting fine needles at specific points on the body — is the TCIM practice with the most extensive biomedical research literature. WHO recognises acupuncture in ICD-11 and has published acupuncture point locations standards (WHO/WPRO). The strongest evidence supports acupuncture for chronic pain (back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis, headache) — recognised by NICE (UK) guidelines and by major systematic reviews. The neurobiological mechanisms are debated (endorphin release, gate control theory, connective tissue effects) but the analgesic effects are considered genuine by most researchers.

What is Ayurveda and how is it regulated?

Ayurveda is one of the world's oldest medical systems, originating in India and practised for 3,000+ years. It uses dietary guidance, herbal preparations (hundreds of plants, minerals, metals), yoga, massage and spiritual practices. Ayurveda is formally recognised and regulated in India by the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy). Internationally, regulation varies enormously. Concerns include: quality and standardisation of preparations; heavy metal content (some formulations intentionally include mercury, lead, arsenic — subject to detoxification processes); and lack of RCT evidence for many indications.

What is the GMJ TCIM Desk?

The GMJ News TCIM Desk (v7.0.0, launched 2024) is a daily evidence-based reporting service covering 63 traditional, complementary and integrative medicine topics across 7 article formats. It uses WHO's official TCIM terminology throughout and applies the same Citation Guard standard as the Supplement Desk: a minimum of 6 verified PubMed citations per article is required. The TCIM Desk is one of the few medical journalism operations globally applying rigorous evidence standards to TCIM coverage.

What is the role of traditional medicine in Georgia?

Georgia has a rich tradition of herbal medicine, with documented use of hundreds of plant species for therapeutic purposes. Traditional Georgian medicine (TGM) incorporates Byzantine, Persian, Arab and European influences alongside indigenous Caucasian practices. The Georgian Medical Journal covers TGM within the WHO TCIM framework, applying evidence-based evaluation standards. PHIG supports integration of validated TCIM practices into the Georgian health system through the TCIM Desk and related educational programmes.

How does GMJ News cover TCIM?

The GMJ TCIM Desk produces daily coverage of 63 topics in 7 formats, applying WHO TCIM terminology and Citation Guard citation standards. Coverage spans traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, naturopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, mind-body practices and integrative oncology — with particular attention to evidence quality, safety signals and WHO policy developments. The 2025 WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 and WHA78 outcomes are editorial priorities.

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Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine

GMJ News knowledge hub · last reviewed September 2026 · Georgian Medical Journal

Summary Statistics Glossary GMJ news FAQ Documents Organizations Research

Traditional medicine is used by people across all six WHO regions, and by 2023 90 of 106 reporting Member States had national policies on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) — up from 25 in 1999 (third WHO global survey). The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, adopted by the 78th World Health Assembly, sets four objectives — evidence, safety and regulation, health-system integration, and cross-sectoral value — supported by the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre and ICD-11 Chapter 26 on Traditional Medicine conditions. From the artemisinin Nobel Prize to the drug-interaction risks of St John's wort, the field demands exactly what GMJ News provides: evidence-based, safety-first journalism that respects cultural heritage without abandoning scientific standards. Explore related evidence profiles in Ingredients A-Z and peer-reviewed research at the Georgian Medical Journal.

Primary sources: WHO health topic — Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine · WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034

Key messages

Global reach

Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) is used by an estimated 80% of the world's population in some form. In 90% of WHO member states, TCIM is part of the formal or informal health system.

WHO strategy 2025-2034

The WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 — endorsed by WHA78 in May 2025 — provides the global framework, with goals of advancing evidence, supporting integration, regulating practice and ensuring safety. It follows the 2019-2024 Strategy.

ICD-11 Chapter 26

WHO's ICD-11 includes a dedicated chapter on traditional medicine conditions (Chapter 26) — the first time traditional medicine diagnostic entities have been included in the international disease classification. This enables rigorous coding, epidemiology and evidence generation.

Artemisinin: the gold standard

Artemisinin — isolated from Artemisia annua (traditional Chinese medicine) by Tu Youyou in 1972 — became the backbone of modern malaria treatment and earned the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This is the definitive example of traditional medicine leading to modern pharmacology.

Safety matters

TCIM is not inherently safe. Herbal preparations can cause direct toxicity, interact with conventional medicines, and may be contaminated or adulterated. The same evidence and safety standards that apply to conventional medicines must apply to TCIM.

GMJ TCIM Desk

The GMJ News TCIM Desk covers 63 topics across 7 formats using WHO's official terminology "Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine" — with mandatory Citation Guard standards of 6+ PubMed citations per article.

Key statistics

80%

of people use some form of TCIM

WHO

90/106

WHO member states have national TCIM policies

WHO 2019

2025-2034

WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy period

WHA78 2025

ICD-11

first classification with TCIM conditions (Chapter 26)

WHO 2022

2015

Tu Youyou Nobel Prize for artemisinin

Nobel Committee

topics in GMJ TCIM Desk

GMJ News

WHO member states with national TCIM policies and laws — WHO Global Report 2019

Source: WHO Global Report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2019. Data from 170 member states.

Glossary of key terms

Traditional medicine (TM)
WHOThe sum total of knowledge, skills and practices based on theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures — used to maintain health and to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical and mental illnesses. Includes herbal medicines, acupuncture, yoga, massage and hundreds of other practices.

Complementary medicine (CM)
WHOA broader set of health care practices that are not part of the established conventional biomedical tradition but are often used alongside it. The same practices may be traditional in their country of origin and complementary in other countries.

Integrative medicine
WHO/NCCIHAn approach that deliberately combines conventional biomedical health care with evidence-informed traditional and complementary practices. The direction of the WHO 2025-2034 Strategy is towards integration where evidence supports it.

Phytomedicine
WHOMedicines derived from plant sources — the largest category of TCIM globally. WHO estimates that approximately 40% of conventional pharmaceuticals are derived from or inspired by natural sources.

Acupuncture
WHO/ICD-11A practice derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine involving insertion of needles at specific points on the body. WHO recognises acupuncture in ICD-11 Chapter 26. Evidence supports its use for chronic pain; evidence is less conclusive for other conditions.

ICD-11 Chapter 26
WHOThe new chapter in ICD-11 (2022) coding traditional medicine conditions — conditions arising from traditional medicine diagnostics such as qi deficiency pattern or kidney yang deficiency. Enables international coding and epidemiological research of TCIM conditions for the first time.