The World Health Organisation has launched a working paper series to document complementary and integrative medicine practices globally.

The international organisation said the series was developed through the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre and covers both comprehensive traditional medicine systems and specific therapeutic practices.

According to WHO, the series was designed to support informed discussions on training, regulation, research and integration into healthcare systems.

“The inaugural publication, Cupping therapy: descriptive synthesis of training, provides a first-of-its-kind overview of training approaches for cupping therapy primarily based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM),” the statement said.

Noting that the series drew on scientific evidence, accreditation frameworks and expert inputs, WHO explained that it described traditional medicine practices within their respective theoretical frameworks and in relation to contemporary biomedical evidence.

It added, “The working papers are descriptive and contribute to strengthening the evidence base for traditional medicine, in line with the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034.”

According to the organisation, by systematically documenting existing knowledge, training and practice, the series sought to provide a shared, neutral foundation for informed discussion on education, professional practice, regulation, health-system integration and research.

WHO said it released the first publication, ‘Cupping Therapy: Descriptive Synthesis of Training’, in October.

It added that based primarily on a systematic scoping review, the paper assessed reported training pathways, curricula, competency requirements, learning outcomes, assessment methods, trainer qualifications and accreditation arrangements, with a primary focus on cupping therapy associated with traditional Chinese medicine.

The series, which marks a major shift in how traditional medical practices are scrutinised and validated globally, bridges the gap between historical remedies and modern science.