By LI Linxu

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) will play a bigger role in infectious disease prevention, treatment and public health response, according to a recently unveiled government plan.

Its role in the fight against COVID-19 has been widely acknowledged by experts at home and abroad.

In the process of treating COVID-19, there are promising data to suggest that TCM is beneficial in reducing the risk of progression from mild-to-moderate cases to severe COVID-19, according to a WHO expert meeting report released on its official website.

Further research is warranted on TCM for the treatment of COVID-19 since the progress to date lays a strong foundation for international collaboration and cooperation that will potentially benefit human health globally through more effective and appropriate application of TCM, said the report.

A pharmacist is examining traditional Chinese medicine decoction. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

The newly unveiled government plan also hails the important contribution made by TCM to COVID-19 control and treatment, calling for further elevation of its capabilities in the prevention, control and treatment of emerging infectious diseases.

By 2025, the capacity of health services provided by TCM will be significantly enhanced, while the policy and system for the high-quality development of TCM will be further improved, according to the plan.

It puts forward a series of goals to be reached by 2025, such as building a sound TCM service system, uplifting the quality and quantity of TCM talent, accelerating the high-quality development of TCM industry, boosting its innovation capabilities, and elevating the level of opening-up and international cooperation.

The number of TCM hospitals is expected to increase from 5,482 in 2020 to 6,300 by the end of 2025, and the number of TCM general practitioners per 10,000 people is expected to rise from 0.66 in 2020 to 0.79 by the end of 2025.

To achieve these goals, the plan laid out a range of major tasks and concrete measures, including further supporting the development of TCM hospitals at all levels, promoting the synergetic development of Chinese and Western medicine, and developing a high-level system for inheritance, protection and innovation in TCM.

It also emphasizes combining TCM and modern science, pledging to strengthen the financial and policy support to the research and development (R&D) of TCM.

A batch of research programs on the major, refractory, and rare diseases as well as emerging infectious diseases will be implemented, said the plan.

Meanwhile, the plan also calls for further strengthening the international cooperation in the R&D of TCM and promoting the role of TCM in the prevention and control of major infections diseases.