The Journal of Traditional medicine is a peer reviewed journal which aims to serve the community as a resource and database for the professional and research of traditional medicine. The main objective of this journal is to provide strength and support to the research and educational base to the upcoming and current scientists all around the globe. The Journal provides a global platform for discussion on various trending topics of traditional medicine which has been a profession in China and other countries.

Traditional medicine built on a foundation of more than 2,500 years of Chinese medical practice that includes various forms of Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, Massage (tui na), Exercise (qigong) and Dietary Therapy, but recently also influenced by modern Western medicine to some extent. As per expert’s opinion it also includes Ayurveda, Herbal Medicine, Naturopathy-Yoga and Unani Medicine.

Countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America use traditional medicine (TM) to help meet some of their primary health care needs. In Africa, up to 80% of the population uses traditional medicine for primary health care. In industrialized countries, adaptations of traditional medicine are termed “Complementary” or “Alternative” (CAM).

Indian medicine penetrated into the Chinese world between the 4 th and 8 th centuries. Ayurveda greatly influenced traditional Chinese medicine during its formation Acupuncture may have origin in ancient India. Indian medical knowledge of internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and dentistry was brought in China. Kashyapa Samhita was translated into Chinese during the Middle Ages. Kashyapa Samhita specially deals with pediatrics, gynecology, and obstetrics. Another Indian medical work Kumara Tantra of Ravana, which mainly deals with paediatric diseases, was translated into Chinese. According to book of sui and Book of Tang eleven Indian medical works were translated into Chinese. Indian monks introduced surgery in China. Before the arrival of Buddhism surgical techniques were unknown within China. Indian monks and translators themselves had a good understanding of medicine.

1. Traditional Medicine (TM) has maintained its popularity in all regions of the developing world and its use is rapidly spreading in industrialized countries.
2. In China, traditional herbal preparations account for 30%-50% of the total medicinal consumption.
3. In Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Zambia, the first line of treatment for 60% of children with high fever resulting from malaria is the use of herbal medicines at home.
4. In Europe, North America and other industrialized regions, over 50% of the population have used complementary or alternative medicine at least once.
5. In San Francisco, London and South Africa, 75% of people living with HIV/AIDS use TM/CAM.
6. 70% of the population in Canada has used complementary medicine at least once.
7. In Germany, 90% of the population has used a natural remedy at some point in their life. Between 1995 and 2000, the number of doctors who had undergone special training in natural remedy medicine had almost doubled.
8. In the United States, 158 million of the adult population use complementary medicines and according to the USA Commission for Alternative and Complementary medicines, US $17 billion was spent on traditional remedies in 2000.
9. In the United Kingdom, annual expenditure on alternative medicine is US$ 230 million.
10. The global market for herbal medicines currently stands at over US $ 60 billion annually and is growing steadily.

The World Health Organization launched its first ever comprehensive traditional medicine strategy in 2002. The strategy is designed to assist countries to:

• Develop national policies on the evaluation and regulation of TM/CAM practices
• Create a stronger evidence base on the safety, efficacy and quality of the TAM/CAM products and practices;
• Ensure availability and affordability of TM/CAM including essential herbal medicines;
• Promote therapeutically sound use of TM/CAM by providers and consumers;
• Document traditional medicines and remedies.
• At present, WHO is supporting clinical studies on anti-Malarials in three African countries; the studies are revealing good potential for herbal anti-Malarials.

Other collaboration is taking place with Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe in the research and evaluation of herbal treatments for HIV/ AIDS, malaria, sickle cell anemia and Diabetes Mellitus.

In Tanzania, WHO, in collaboration with China, is providing technical support to the government for the production of anti-malarials derived from the Chinese herb Artemisia annua. Local production of the medicine will bring the price of one dose down from US $6 or $7 to a more affordable $2.

In 2003, WHO support has so far facilitated the development and introduction of traditional and alternative health care curricula in seven tertiary education institutions in the Philippines.

Training workshops on the use of traditional medicines for selected diseases and disorders have also been organized in China, Mongolia and Vietnam.