International Conference on Traditional Medicine November 9-1, 2009 in Guangzhou,China

I went to Guangzhou, a southern coastal city which is the 3^rd largest in China, population, 10 million as of the 2007 census. The purpose – to present a paper called Strategies for Globalizing Chinese Medical Research: Standards, Cost of Care Studies and Ethics.


90 countries were promoting the inheritance, development and internationalization of Traditional Chinese Medicine. There was a call for Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) as the sign post of what would make Chinese medicine acceptable in the world.


Those of you who know me, know that I take some exceptions to rote EBM as a path for creating acceptance of acupuncture and Chinese medicine on global platform. I am also happy to use EBM to make a point. More on this later.

The conference was sponsored by all levels of Chinese government:

Ministry of Science and Technology, P.R.China

Ministry of Health, P.R.China

State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, P.R.China

State Food and Drug Administration

Ministry of Education, P.R.China

State Ethnic Affairs Commission, P.R.China

Ministry of Agriculture, P.R.China

Ministry of Culture, P.R.China

General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, P.R.China

State Forestry Administration, P.R.China

State Intellectual Property Office, P.R.China

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Chinese Academy of Engineering

National Natural Science Foundation of China

People’s Government of Guangdong Province

The WHO co-sponsored the event.

It was the People’s Government of Guangdong Province (Guangdong Science and Technology Department) who did the heavy lifting for the conference organization.

Mr. Wan Gang, Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology gave a presentation called:  Promoting the Modernization and Internationalization of TCM for the Benefit of Society.

1. Development of TM is practical and significant. The financial tsunami the integration of different civilizations and issues around the economic gap place the global ecological concerns. Medical care H1-N1 AIDS and SARS are part of the return to traditional medicine which connected with the people’s need to get back to nature. The goal is a harmonious and globalized point of view.
2. Specific features of traditional medicine. Early practices use of senses to evaluate the disease process. For example pulse diagnosis, observation, inquiry. This approach point of view is holistic dynamic and personalized. Because it is a treatment in light of the person the time and place. This brings advantages beyond the substantial contributions of genetics and epigenetics. As time goes on, these practices can be difficult to accept by people trained in the contemporary societies and scientific world view. This makes traditional practices difficult to evaluate using the contemporary scientific method. We need to seek a development path for TCM
3. Strategic consideration for TM. It is a valuable asset that has taken centuries to develop. We need to promote the medicine along with science and technology in order to further internationalization. Medicine does not only aim at curing disease, we must also be involved in the following
1. Improve prevention and treatment
2. The healthcare and diagnostic systems
3. Technology
4. Enrich the theoretical system
5. Set up international standards and norms
6. Develop unique technology
7. Network for international science and technology

The Deputy Minster of Health Wang Guangzhou said that we must Seize the Opportunity for Government Collaboration and Development. He said that TM is an important inheritance for human civilization. TM has enriched and made great contributions to the health and prosperity of humanity for millennia.

More to come on the conference and the research presentations in my track which was on acupuncture research. Hint - there was some very cool studies using 24 hour blood pressure monitors.

Warmly,

Will