Consultation Meeting Held on the Establishment of a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre in the Field of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCIM) in Türkiye
On 6 August 2025, Technical Consultation Meeting was organized on the establishment of a WHO Collaborating Centre in the Field of TCIM in Türkiye. The meeting was held in Ankara, hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Türkiye, with the agenda of establishing a WHO Collaborating Centre in the field of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCIM) in Türkiye. The meeting focused on evaluating the process and framework for cooperation in this regard.
Participants from Türkiye included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elif Güler Kazancı, Head of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Institute at TÜSEB; Dr. Esra Karabal Arda, Head of TCIM Department at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Türkiye; Fatih Karademir, Head of Foreign Affairs Department at TÜSEB; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deniz Güven, TCIM Researcher at TÜSEB; Prof. Dr. Senem Alkan Özdemir, Vice Dean of İzmir Faculty of Medicine at the University of Health Sciences (SBÜ); Fatih Karabük, personnel from the Ministry of Health; İlyas Umur Ayaz, R&D Specialist at TÜSEB; and Sezin Ünal, Administrative Staff from Foreign Affairs Department at TÜSEB.
The WHO delegation was represented by Dr. Kim Sungchol, Technical Officer for Traditional Medicine at WHO Headquarters; Dr. Aditi Bana, Technical Officer for WHO Collaborating Centres for Traditional Medicine; Rasmus Gjesing, Head of the Access to Medicines & Health Products at WHO Europe; Technical Officer Dorina Pirgari; Dr. Tasnim Atatrah, WHO Representative and Head of Country Office in Türkiye; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tufan Nayır, Public Health Officer at WHO Ankara Office; and interpreter Mert Sabuncu.
The main agenda of the meeting focused on evaluating Türkiye’s national and international activities in the field of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCIM) to date, assessing institutional capacity, and discussing the establishment of a sustainable cooperation framework with the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr. Esra Karabal Arda, Head of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Department (TCIM) at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Türkiye, highlighted Türkiye’s accumulated experience in the field of traditional and complementary medicine, providing information on current practices and ongoing collaborations. Representatives from TÜSEB and the Ministry emphasized that through implementation centers, scientific publications, congresses, and clinical research, there is a high degree of alignment with the WHO’s traditional medicine strategies. It was noted that TÜSEB’s strong research infrastructure forms an important foundation for the planned establishment of the Collaborating Centre.
During the meeting, WHO representatives provided information on the technical process related to the status of the Collaborating Centre. Details were shared regarding the structuring of the candidacy application and the mutual steps to be undertaken during the preparations.
TÜSEB remains committed to contributing to the development of evidence-based policies that adhere to international standards in the field of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, and to deepening its collaboration with the World Health Organization.
