The People’s Declaration calls for the respectful collaboration between traditional, complementary and biomedical practices with the aim of achieving a person-centered and holistic approach to health.
The healthcare we want focuses on the whole person, is participative, respects individual choices as well as cultural diversity and integrates clinical experience and patient values with the best available research information.
Full access to traditional, complementary and integrative healthcare should be part of the right to health.
DEFINITIONS
Traditional, complementary and integrative healthcare (TCIH) refers to the respectful collaboration between various systems of healthcare and their health professionals with the aim of offering a person-centred and holistic approach to health.
ABOUT US
We represent a worldwide community of users and health professionals of TCIH with a large diversity of backgrounds and experiences with a common commitment to the advancement and promotion of TCIH.
THE HEALTHCARE WE DESIRE
Focuses on the whole person, including physical, mental, social and spiritual dimensions
Is patient-centred and supports self-healing and health creation
Is participative and respects individual choices
Is evidence-based by integrating clinical experience and patient values with the best available research information
Respects cultural diversity and regional differences
Is an integral part of community and planetary health
Uses natural and sustainable resources that are respectful of the health of our planet
Integrates traditional, complementary and biomedical practices in a supportive and collaborative manner
We appreciate the benefits of conventional / biomedicine. At the same time we recognize its limitations, including:
The insufficient therapeutic options that biomedicine provides, especially for chronic / non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
Frequent side effects of biomedical treatments and rising antimicrobial resistance • Fragmentation of care from increased specialization and the limits of a disease-based model
We are inspired by countries that are successfully integrating TCIH into their healthcare systems. However, we are concerned about:
Countries that prevent, limit or undervalue the practice of TCIH
Uninformed or unbalanced media reporting of TCIH
Insufficient public funding of TCIH research
Risk of reduced availability of TCIH and unregulated practices in some countries
OUR CALL TO ACTION
All countries
Ensure full access to TCIH as part of the right to health for all
Include TCIH into national health systems
Provide accreditation of TCIH healthcare professionals in accordance with international training standards to ensure high quality care
Ensure access and safety of TCIH medicines through specific regulatory pathways
Fund research on TCIH and disseminate reliable information on TCIH to the public
All healthcare professionals
Foster respectful collaboration between all healthcare professions towards achieving a person-centred and holistic approach to healthcare
All media and publications
Ensure accurate and fair reporting on TCIH
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