Therapy shared
TCM has further expanded its global presence by helping to combat the pandemic.
According to the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China has shared TCM therapy, effective prescriptions and clinical experience with more than 80 countries and regions dealing with COVID-19.
To meet demand among overseas physicians for COVID-19 to be treated with TCM, the WFCMS has translated treatment protocols for the disease into more than 10 languages and shared anti-pandemic experience via livestreaming-garnering more than 1 million views.
Lianhua Qingwen capsules and granules-a recommended TCM treatment for COVID-19-have received marketing approval in more than 10 countries and regions and have also been donated to several other nations.
Zhang Qi, head of the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Unit (TCM) in the WHO's service delivery and safety department, said 369 studies on the treatment of COVID-19 using traditional medicine have been registered on the organization's clinical trial registration platform, with more than one-third of them related to TCM.
Pan said: "TCM has demonstrated its unique advantage in reducing the fatality rate and improving the recovery rate. The novel coronavirus pandemic provides a new opportunity for TCM to go global.
But there is still a long way to go. Standardization is the key to going abroad, including standards for diagnosis and treatment, as well as medicine placement and processing. TCM talent is also in great demand."
In the Netherlands, Kuipers has full confidence in the use of TCM.He has drawn up a working plan with his father, who practices Western medicine.
They sometimes treat patients together. The father refers his patients to Kuipers, and the pair discuss the organ that TCM should focus on-the liver or the lungs.
"It's working very well, especially with elderly patients who have cancer or other incurable diseases. TCM can make them feel better and keep them as comfortable as possible. It's not about curing the cancer, but health maintenance," Kuipers said.
He said TCM will be used for many more tasks, including cosmetic acupuncture, which works mainly by smoothing away facial wrinkles, enabling the skin to appear young.
"It's really quite popular. I have some patients who come for this beauty treatment. Most of them have skin problems. People like the treatment, because when they feel beautiful from the outside, they also feel beautiful from the inside. Maybe I'll do more of it in the future," Kuipers said.
