On April 14, 2023, Malaysia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) launched a traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) research framework and herbal medicine research guidelines, which are said to be the first in the world. MOH said that both documents will help traditional healthcare practitioners to produce science-based studies on alternative and complementary medicine.
Health Minister Dr. Zaliha Mustafa, who launched both documents, said that the T&CM framework was developed as a guide for stakeholders interested in planning, evaluating and conducting T&CM research.
“In an effort towards the professionalization of the T&CM industry, research plays an important role in providing valuable input for evidence-based approaches in making policy decisions related to T&CM and creating an evidence base for information on the safety and effectiveness of T&CM practices and products,” she said at the launch ceremony here.
“However, T&CM research in Malaysia is still at an early stage with one of its main challenges being to align modern clinical research methods with traditional medical principles and theories,” she added.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which helped develop the T&CM framework, defines traditional medicine as the sum total of knowledge, skills, and practices based on original theories, beliefs, and experiences of various cultures, whether explainable or not, used in health care as well as in prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.
Science Direct, a peer-reviewed journal, said that traditional medical systems are supported by a large body of literature and records of theoretical concepts and practical skills, while others are passed down from generation to generation through oral teaching.
Although still considered marginal by most Western healthcare practitioners, T&CM has deep roots in Asian culture and has long been used to complement healthcare in Malaysia.
Traditional medicine is now regulated under the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016 (Act 775). MOH said that this Act plays an important role in enhancing T&CM practices towards a more organized, professional and systematic arena.
Dr. Zaliha said that some of the key topics addressed by this framework are general considerations and requirements for conducting research in Malaysia that complies with current guidelines and regulations, and specific considerations for T&CM research that delves deeper into the principles and main components of T&CM research.
