The Overview on the Education and Training Systems of Traditional Medicine in Asia and the Pacific

These days, traditional and complementary/alternative medicine (TM/CAM) becomes more upsurging topics of increasing importance and the use and popularity of TM/CAM is rapidly expanding, Since the tradition and situation on TM/CAM of each country is quite different, the concept and system of TM/CAM expressed by different countries shows the variety of range. Some countries recognize TM/CAM as one part of two branches of medical science and have integrated into national health care system. In these countries, education systems for TM/CAM are also well organized formal education systems, such as the Republic of Korea, DPR Korea, China (including Hong Kong and Macao), and Viet Nam. However, other countries in Asia and the Pacific. still do not have formal and/or informal education system and do not recognize TM/CAM as a kind of health care systems. This paper reviews the current situation of education and training on TM/CAM in the Asia and the Pacific. As a result, fifteen countries (31.3%) of 48 member countries in Asia and the Pacific have formal education systems for TM/CAM, twelve countries (25.0%) do not have formal education system and twenty one countries (43.7%) do not have available information. At least six countries are allocating the curriculum of medical school to the education of both allopathic and traditional medicine. For the proper use and development of TM/CAM, the development of formal education system as well as the integration into the national health care system are needed.