The World Health Organization (WHO) has redesignated Norway’s National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NAFKAM) as a Collaborating Center for another four years.
Originally appointed as a WHO Collaborating Center in 2008, NAFKAM was the first Northern European center in the field of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCI).
“I am delighted that NAFKAM and the WHO have come to the agreement to continue our collaborative activities on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine for another four years. As a WHO Collaborating Centre, NAFKAM is able to make an important contribution to the worldwide dissemination of up to-date information on the legal status, regulation, safety and models of integration of Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine”, says professor Miek Jong, head of NAFKAM.
The WHO collaborating centers are national institutions designated by the Director-General of the WHO. These are part of an international collaboration network carrying out activities in support of WHO's mandate for international health work and the program's priorities.
With its expertise and experience in the field, NAFKAM supports the WHO in fulfilling their traditional, complementary and integrative medicine strategy. This strategy includes strengthening the quality assurance, safety, proper use and effectiveness of TCI medicine by regulating products, practices and practitioners.
NAFKAM continues to provide technical support and knowledge to the WHO, promote global communication and information exchange in the field of TCI medicine, and expand WHO’s efforts on patient safety and quality of care in TCI. NAFKAM chairs the WHO’s expert group of the report on “Models of integration of traditional and complementary medicine in health systems”, which is currently being finalised.
WHO's regional director in Europe, Dr. Hans Henri Kluge, is very pleased with the cooperation so far, and states in a letter to UiT The Arctic University of Norway "I would like to express my appreciation for your past contribution and I look forward to our continued successful collaboration."
WHO has 21 collaboration centers in traditional medicine and NAFKAM is one of two in Europe.
Professor Vinjar Fønnebø, who recently retired from his position as Director at NAFKAM, recounts twelve successful years: - During this period, we have among other things worked to train researchers from all over the world in improving research methods, and have made a great effort to develop and improve the communication profession. The fact that we continue to work with WHO means that the work we do is considered important and recognized, he says.
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WHO Collaborating Centres for Traditional Medicine
