Current data suggests that Slovenia faces a notable shortage of qualified acupuncturists, limiting access to this increasingly evidence-based therapy for chronic conditions. With a population of approximately 2.1 million (projections for 2026 place it around 2,097,000–2,100,000 based on sources like Countrymeters and Eurostat-aligned estimates), the country has an estimated 50–100 active practitioners, resulting in roughly 2.4–4.8 acupuncturists per 100,000 inhabitants. This

1. Understanding the Academic Landscape: The Gold Standards of TCM Training In the complex ecosystem of European healthcare, aspiring practitioners must look beyond introductory "orientation" courses, which often comprise fewer than 200 hours. To achieve professional legitimacy, strategic candidates must prioritize programs aligned with the WHO Benchmarks for Training  and the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) . The ECTS serves as the continent's academic currency. A sta

The Slovenian Association of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (SZKMA) supports the objectives of Slovenia's Proposal for a National Health Literacy Strategy 2025–2035  (NHLS). Health literacy is a key factor for empowering individuals, reducing health inequalities, and ensuring a more effective healthcare system. SZKMA shares common goals with the Slovenian Ministry of Health of empowering citizens, promoting holistic well-being, fostering intersectoral collaboration, and str

The Astana Declaration on primary health care (PHC) makes specific reference to traditional medicine and calls for all stakeholders to align to take joint actions to build stronger and sustainable PHC toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). As the World Health Organization (WHO) is evaluating its “Traditional Medicine Strategy: 2014–2023” and WHO member states are deciding if WHO should develop a new strategy, the inclusion of stakeholders from traditional, compleme

Abstract Background Integrative oncology (IO) appears to be beneficial to patients with cancer, but its implementation remains a challenge. Guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and the Capability–Opportunity–Motivation–Behaviour (COM-B) model, this systematic review identified the barriers to and facilitators of IO implementation in conventional cancer care settings. Methods We searched eight electronic databases from their inception until February 2022 for qua

Background The integration of non-conventional therapies (NCT) into health policies and health services delivery is a worldwide trend and might have a role in achieving Universal Health Coverage. WHO has encouraged countries to integrate NCT into health service delivery and to increase the interest and utilization by consumers. Following two resolutions by the European Parliament and by the Council of Europe, in the late 1990s, recommending the recognition of NCT and calling

Background: The status of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within the EU needs clarification. Terminology of CAM, therapies, legal status, regulations and approaches used vary from country to country but there is widespread use by EU citizens. Objectives and Methods: The project aimed to evaluate the conditions surrounding CAM use and provision in Europe and to develop a roadmap for CAM research in Europe. Specific objectives were to establish an EU network involv

Currently, some non-conventional therapies (NCT), such as acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy, naturopathy, herbology, and Traditional Chinese Medicine are structured and well-regulated for a market of teaching and clinical practice in Portugal, among which acupuncture has become one of the most appealing and functional branches. Through investigation of acupuncture laws, field surveys, teaching work and interviews with people from NCT field in Portugal, we showed the current