Traditional Medicine or Complementary Medicine. What is it?

Traditional Medicine or Complementary Medicine. What is it?

What is traditional medicine?

“Traditional medicine as define as diverse health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal, and/or mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises applied singularly or in combination to maintain well-being, as well as to treat, diagnose or prevent illness.”

                                                                             WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002-2005

What is complementary medicine? 

“Complementary medicine also sometimes referred to as non-conventional or parallel medicine, are used to refer to a broadest of health care practices that are not part of a country’s own tradition, or not integrated into its dominant health care system.”

                                                                             WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002-2005

What is traditional and complementary medicine?

“Traditional and complementary medicine means a form of health-related practices designed to prevent, treat and / or manage illnesses and / or preserve the mental and physical well-being of individuals and includes such practices as traditional Malay medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Indian medicine, homeopathy and complementary therapies and excludes medical or dental practices utilized by registered medical or dental practitioners.

                                                                   T&CM Division, Ministry of Health, Malaysia 2007

LINK