Venus Mushininga (Zimbabwe) writes: "it is critical to put in place mechanisms that can:
1. Enable patients to disclose use so that interactions can be anticipated and managed
2. lncrease awareness on possible interactions and proper use
3. Strengthen collaboration with traditional health practitioners in research and promotion of safe use of traditional medicines
4. Put in place mechanisms to protect intellectual property rights for indigenous traditional medicines
In my opinion modern medicine and traditional medicine can be integrated effectively and lead to better outcomes for patients.
For this to happen there is need to foster trust and collaboration between the traditional health practitioners and modern medicine practitioners."
There is an additional question about the reliability of evidence that is required to demonstrate safety and efficacy. Should this be the same for allopathic ('modern') treatments and traditional/complementary/alternative treatments? I would argue that patients have a right to know the evidence base around any intervention, including where available systematic reviews.
A secondary question relates to whether governments should provide support for treatments with questionable effectiveness. Again this applies to any intervention. NICE in the UK 'helps practitioners and commissioners get the best care to patients, fast, while ensuring *value for the taxpayer*' (my emphasis).
As an example, in 2017 NHS England said it would no longer fund homeopathy on the NHS as the lack of any evidence for its effectiveness did not justify the cost. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/homeopathy/ France (a country where homeopathy enjoys huge support) followed suit in 2021.
I would be interested to know how other governments are addressing these issues.
What do you think?
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
