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On 23 May 2008, AACMA, in collaboration with the RMIT University WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine, hosted the Australian launch and the first international launch of the WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (published by the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office).
Summary
Acupuncture has been practised for more than 2500 years in the Western Pacific region and has become a global therapeutic method in recent decades. However, it was reported that acupuncturists differed by up to 25% in the acupuncture points they used, raising doubts and uncertainty regarding the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment, as well as causing difficulties in the fields of acupuncture research and education. Member States therefore increasely began to demand standardization in acupuncture point locations. Responding to this request, the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office initiated a project to reach consensus on acupuncture point locations and thus convened 11 serial meetings resulting in these guidelines. This Standard acupuncture point locations in the Western Pacific Region stipulates the methodology for locating acupuncture points on the surface of the human body, as well as the locations of 361 acupuncture points. The Standard is applicable for teaching, research, clinical service, publication and academic exchanges involving acupuncture.
The WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region was developed under the auspices of Dr Seung-Hoon Choi, Regional Adviser in Traditional Medicine at the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) in a 5 year project culminating in the 2008 publication. Expertise to advise on the project was primarily drawn from academics, clinicians and researchers in the field of acupuncture from WHO Tier One traditional medicine countries in the Western Pacific Region as well as a number of other experts from outside the region. AACMA Fellow, John McDonald, was a temporary adviser to WHO during 2006, the only Australian invited to be a consultant on the project.
(Note: WHO WPRO Tier One countries are - Australia, China, Japan and Korea (ACJK), although Australia did not join the ranks of Tier One countries until 2006.)
The launch was chaired by AACMA CEO, Judy James, and was attended by up to 80 representatives of the acupuncture profession and academia. Formal speakers (in order of presentation) were:
- Professor Julianne Reid (RMIT University)
- Professor Alan Bensoussan (National Institute of Complementary Medicine)
- Dr Chris Zaslawski (University of Technology, Sydney)
- John McDonald (Australian Council for Chinese Medicine Education & Australian College of Natural Medicine)
- Professor Charlie Xue (RMIT University WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine)
- Dr Seung-Hoon Choi (World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office)
AACMA commends Dr Choi and WHO WPRO for the project as well as the expert advisers, and recommend its widespread adoption.
For a detailed review of the text and its significance for acupuncture research, teaching and practice, please refer to the next issue of the Australian Journal of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (due Nov/Dec 2008).
Copies may be obtained from ChinaBooks Australia (www.chinabooks.com.au) or on-line from WHO (www.who.int or www.wpro.who.int).
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