Member States were asked whether a national office for TM/CAM existed. If one did, they were asked to provide the date of establishment and the ministry responsible for it. Although the term “national office” was not defined, the working definition is an office or department which forms part of the national authority and is responsible for TM/CAM issues. If countries replied “no”, they were asked to indicate whether such an institution is being planned.

Compared with other categories of national policy, the survey results reveal that more Member States have national offices for TM/CAM than national policies, laws or regulations and national programmes. More than half (75 countries, 53%, Figure 7) of responding Member States reported having such an office.

Figure 7. National offices for TM/CAM

Nearly all (92%) of those countries with national offices report that they are run by the Ministry of Health.

Of the 57 countries reporting that a national office does not exist, only 19 (31%) indicated that such an institution is being planned.

A study of the years of establishment for national offices on TM/CAM supports the idea that such institutions are a more recent development. As outlined in Figure 8, from 1987 to 2003, the number of national offices throughout the world nearly quadrupled. During the period from 2000 to 2003, almost twice as many national offices were established as in any other period.

Figure 8. Number of Member States with a national office on TM/CAM, by year

Finally, Map 5 below shows those Member States that have a national TM/CAM office, and those that indicated that such an office is in development.