From 21st to 30th May, 2023, the 76th World Health Assembly was held in Geneva, Switzerland. The theme of this year’s World Health Assembly was WHO at 75: Saving lives, driving health for all. As the NGO in official relations with World Health Organization, the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) sent a delegation composed of Bangrazi Sergio, deputy director of Standardization Working Committee of WFAS, Liguori Aldo, vice president of WFAS (Italy), Ramon Maria Calduch, vice president of WFAS (Spain), Petti Filomena, member of the tenth executive committee of WFAS and Chen Yueling, Director General of European Foundation of Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine to attend the assembly. The delegation joined the discussions on topics including universal health coverage, health emergencies, WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023, collaboration within the United Nations system and with other intergovernmental organizations, etc. 

During the assembly, WFAS vice president Ramon Maria Calduch headed a delegation to visit Dr. Kim Sungchol, unit head of Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Integrated Health Services of WHO and Prof. Li Yachan, senior technical officer of WHO Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine. They extensively discussed the regulatory situation of traditional medicine in different countries and regions. They also talked about WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023. Dr. Ramon Maria Calduch said that inclusion of traditional medicine in the International Classification of Diseases-11th revision (ICD-11) manifested the increasingly important role of traditional medicine in the global public health system represented by the World Health Organization. He proposed to develop guidelines to facilitate regulation and legislation of Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine for national health authorities. Dr. Bangrazi Sergio introduced some activities of WFAS and Dr. Kim Sungchol said that he was interested in acupuncture hospitals platform and multi-focal point researches. 

Source: European Foundation of Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Italian Association of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and TCM

The delegation took a photo with Dr. Kim Sungchol and Prof. Li Yachan

(Contributors:1. International Communication Working Committee Secretariat of WFAS; 2.Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

On April 8th 2023, Symposium of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Diplomacy and Global Community of Health for All & General Election of International Communication Working Committee of WFAS has been held successfully in Linqu County, Shandong Province. Prof. Liu Baoyan, the President of WFAS, attended the conference and delivered a speech. Prof. Gao Shuzhong was re-elected as Director of the International Communication Working Committee of WFAS (CCWFAS). The conference was chaired by Ms. Liu Junhua, the Deputy Director and Secretary-General of CCWFAS. 

At the conference, Prof. Liu Baoyan extended warm congratulations to the second CCWFAS and hoped all members of the committee would shoulder the burden bravely and provide support for the international promotion of TCM acupuncture-moxibustion (acu-mox). He pointed out that acu-mox of extensiveness and localization in its international promotion. In recent years, the levels of acu-mox clinical and basic research have been significantly improved, and acu-mox standardization has been expanded greatly. However, at the same time, there is a huge imbalance in the development of acu-mox all over the world. Prof. Liu Baoyan stressed that working committees are working units of WFAS. He hoped that CCWFAS would further refine its work tasks, carry out researches on major traditional medicine organizations and their administrative bodies of the world, and know well of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine activities both at WHO headquarter and regional offices, to provide information and consultation for WFAS and its working committees to participate in the activities of WHO, and to make great effort to the international development of TCM acu-mox.

Prof. Gao Shuzhong thanked WFAS leaders and committee members for the trust and support. He reported the work tasks and thoughts of the 2nd CCWFAS. Prof. Gao Shuzhong said that he would unite and lead all members of the 2nd CCWFAS to make joint efforts to expand the international cooperation network of TCM acu-mox, to build an academic exchange platform, share cooperation resources, and make more contributions on the inheritance, innovation, development and international promotion of TCM acu-mox.

Online and offline voting was adopted to vote the 2nd CCWFAS, with 1 Director, 9 Deputy Directors, 1 Secretary-General, 1 Vice Secretary-General, and 33 Members. All members are from 14 countries and regions, including Brazil, Mexico, USA, Canada, Germany, Australia, UK, Switzerland, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, etc. The Deputy Director and Secretary-General of CCWFAS, Ms. Liu Junha explained the Working Rules of the International Committee of Working Committee of WFAS.

This conference is one of the sub-forums of the First Yishan Health Talk & TCM Health Conference. 50 participants including leaders of WFAS and candidate members of the 2nd CCWFAS attended the conference online and offline. During the conference, the newly elected members discussed and exchanged thoughts on acu-mox diplomacy, global community of health for all, and work plan of the 2nd CCWFAS based on their own experiences in the fields of acu-mox international promotion, industry, international education, etc.