Virtual Health Library on Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine (VHL TCIM)

The Virtual Health Library on Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (VHL TCIM) is a thematic VHL, an online access to scientific and technical health information and serves as a database, which specializes in Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) and its related health practices.

The VHL TCIM applies the VHL model of network collaboration.

The VHL TCIM aims to promote the presence, access, use, and publication of scientific, technical, and educational content that will contribute to the promotion, development and integration of the TCIM into health care services and systems in the Americas Region through the collaboration of stakeholders.

Lines of Action:

• To promote open access to scientific, technical information and evidence on TCIM
• Promotion  informed decision-making, using the best available knowledge and evidence on TCIM
• Facilitate the exchange of knowledge and collaboration amongst stakeholders
• Experience exchange and visibility of good practices

The VHL TCIM is a collaborative and participative virtual space, developed and managed by the Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine Network for the Americas (TCIM Americas Network). This Network was established by the cooperation between institutions and organizations involved in the training, regulation, promotion, research development, and provision of TCIM services. The Pan-American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), by means of the Latin-American and Caribbean System on Health Sciences Information (BIREME/PAHO/WHO), works as the articulator and facilitator of the afore mentioned Network.

The VHL TCIM is aligned with a series of the WHO and PAHO/WHO policy strategies, including the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023, the PAHO/WHO Ethnicity and Health Policy, and the PAHO/WHO Strategy for Universal Access to Health and Universal Health Coverage (Resolution CD53.R14), among others (for more details, see “The Thematic area”).

VHL TCIM Background

In 2015, the idea of the VHL TCIM started in an agreement established by the BIREME and PAHO/WHO representation in Nicaragua, and the Instituto de Medicina Natural y Terapias Complementarias (IMNTC) from Nicaragua, with the purpose of integrating other countries.

After a series of joint actions by the key stakeholders, the project for the development of the VHL TCIM started to consolidate. During the early stage, the first sketches of the site were developed, info metrics were calculated, and reference documents were identified. The Nicaragua team created an initial inventory of sources of information, initially categorizing themes related to TCIM and identifying possible allies. BIREME team used the VHL model to develop a thematic TCIM site; and developed applications (services) to integrate information and educational resources of national and international of information from the field into a site available on the web. Additionally, BIREME led capacity-building processes for the collaboration Network and the coordinators of this initiative.

The VHL TCIM project was presented at the Regional meeting “Advancing Towards Universal Health, Contributions of Traditional and Complementary Medicine”, which took place in Managua, Nicaragua, on June 6-8, 2017, and that was, in turn, a call for action convened by PAHO/WHO Regional Office. During the meeting, delegates from several countries proposed the creation of a collaboration network in TCIM for the Americas. It was then when the VHL TCIM project took off.

The TCIM Americas Network took over management of the VHL TCIM, and the early effort started to have a regional scope. The collaborators of the TCIM Americas Network have developed all the contents of the VHL TCIM site together. They have met with national health authorities, healthcare institutions, academic institutions, researchers, non-governmental organizations, and some others, to make this project feasible.