Traditional Chinese Medicine and Endangered Animals

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the 30th anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration, which for the first time called upon governments and organizations to include traditional medicine in their primary health care systems. Following the Alma-Ata Declaration, WHO established its own Traditional Medicine Programme.

To commemorate these anniversaries and to support countries as they work toward the goals of Alma-Ata, WHO is cosponsoring (with the Ministry of Health of China and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China) a Summit Congress on Traditional Medicine in November in Beijing, China. Because animal products are a significant component of some traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Advocacy for Animals is rerunning our October 2007 article “Traditional Chinese Medicine and Endangered Animals” as the Congress approaches.