보건복지부 영문홈페이지

Strengthening Cooperation in Traditional Medicine

in the Western Pacific

 

- MOHW and WHO hold advisory meeting on traditional medicine

for the Western Pacific Region -

- Delegations from 23 countries participate in a discussion

for WHO’s new global traditional medicine strategy (2025-2034) -

 

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, Minister Cho KyooHong) announced today that it will co-host the WHO Traditional Medicine Advisory Meeting for the Western Pacific Region with the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) in Seoul from Wednesday, August 28, to Thursday, August 29.

 

Organized jointly by the WHO WPRO and the MOHW, the meeting will gather delegations from 23 countries* and experts from relevant organizations.

 

* 23 countries (in alphabetical order) : American Samoa (U.S. territory), Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Cook Islands, Fiji, India, Kiribati, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nauru, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Philippines, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam, WHO

 

The meeting will involve in-depth discussions on the draft of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034*, including member country reviews, as well as an interim evaluation of the Regional Framework for Harnessing Traditional and Complementary Medicine**, currently implemented by the WPRO.

* WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy : A 10-year strategy developed by the WHO to advance global traditional medicine by strengthening evidence-based practices, ensuring high-quality and safe traditional medicine, and integrating it into health systems. The previous strategy (2014-2023) was extended by two years due to COVID-19 and is expected to be completed in 2025

 

** WPRO Regional Framework for Traditional and Complementary Medicine : Established by the WPRO in 2021 to enhance the contribution of traditional and complementary medicine to the well-being and health promotion of member states in the Western Pacific Region

 

During the meeting, Korea will present its policies and systems for Korean traditional medicine, which has become a vital part of the national healthcare system, and will emphasize Korea's role and contributions to the new WHO traditional medicine strategy.

 

Jeong Young-hoon, Director General of the Division of Korean Medicine Policy at the MOHW, remarked, “This meeting represents a significant opportunity to strengthen cooperation in traditional medicine among Western Pacific countries and to highlight Korea’s leadership in this field. We are committed to advancing global traditional medicine through ongoing collaboration with the WHO.”

 

The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 will be finalized after input from member countries across WHO’s six regions and reviewed by the WHO Executive Board. It is expected to be adopted at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2025. ///