WHO global atlas on traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM)

Due to rising demand for traditional complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) globally, international ministerial groups and professional bodies have been calling for a global perspective on policy and a means for countries to share information and policy initiatives with one another. The WHO Global Atlas is designed to: assess the status of development of the sector; plan for further developments; identify national and regional partners in the development process; plan further mechanisms for refining data collection and information sharing. It is a two-volume publication to be published in late 2004 by Imperial College Press, London. It contains approximately forty-five maps of different aspects of policy as they occur in different regions and countries of the world. From this collection of chapters and maps the WHO Global Atlas on TCAM will make it possible to identify trends in the formalization of TCAM around the world, particularly: patterns of legislation and regulation, issues in professional development, research priority and methodological challenges, and pathways and pitfalls on the road towards integration of TCAM into mainstream healthcare.