3rd World Health Congress 2023 Prague

On 15-17 September 2023, Prague became the meeting place for many eminent TCIM personalities from all continents. At the end of the Congress, the following joint declaration was adopted, which I now humbly bring to your attention as a director of the Institute for TCIM/CAM that organized the Congress.

PROJECT VISION 2023 PRAGUE

The World Health Congress 2023 Prague took place on 15-17th September 2023 https://www.whc2023prague.com/ and was attended by nearly 2,000 participants from 55 countries, 370 of whom in person. More than 140 presentations were made in the field of TCIM (traditional, complementary, and integrative medicines) and EBM (evidence-based medicine). The Congress was held under the auspices of the City of Prague and Prof. Dr. Julius Špičák, with the participation of the members of the Presidium and its guests:

Bc. Margita Balaštíková, Amarjeet S Bhamra, Dr. Jayvant Bhagattjee, BUTM, CMA, Dr. Bhaswati Bhattacharya, MPH, MD, PhD, Ralf Dissemond, Dr. Nandu Goswami, MD, PhD, MME, Dr. Naveen Gupta, Stephan Hein, Ing. Adolf Inneman, PhD., Dr. Peter Kath, Nora Laubstein, Doc. PhDr. Eva Křížová, Jesper Odde Madsen, MUDr. Andrea Málková, Diane Miller JD, Prof. Dr. Maximilian Moser, Federico Palla, Prof. Dr. Kuldeep Pandey, MD, PhD, Uwe Peters, Ph.D., Tomáš Pfeiffer, Dr. med. Rainer Picha, Prof. Valdis Pirags, MD, Prof. Dr. Bruno Renzi, Dr. Antonietta Rozzi, Mgr. Miloslava Rutová, Nat. Milena Simeoni, Prof. RNDr. Anna Strunecká, DrSc., Prof. MUDr. Julius Špičák, CSc., Prof. Dr. Madan Thangavelu, MUDr. Hana Váňová, Kiran Vyas, Isabelle Wachsmuth, MSc, MPH, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Katharina C. Wirnitzer

Information about the members of the Presidium and its guests can be found at
https://www.whc2023prague.com/#members

Preamble
Aware of the current global paradigm changes in all areas, including TCIM, i.e. traditional, complementary and integrative medicines, the personally present members of the Presidium and its guests jointly adopt a declaration entitled Vision 2023 Prague.

Vision 2023 Prague

1 Optimum quality of health as the top priority

We, the members of the Presidium, request leaders worldwide to prioritize practical solutions for healthcare challenges. Humans need health care - not only disease management, care focused on building optimum quality of health, with attention and respect to interdisciplinary and person-centred approaches, at affordable cost, showing efficacy.

2 Let´s create space of TCIM in national health systems

The Presidium urges international policies creating deserved space of traditional, complementary, integrative medicines (TCIM) in comprehensive health care. Consistently, mainstream healthcare leaders recognize that TCIM are utilized by the vast majority of the world population, not because of ignorance, but because TCIM offer multi-dimensional benefits, with timetested effectiveness, beyond biomedical evidence.

3 Conventional medicine and TCIM should become cooperating partners

We seek close cooperation with evidence-based medicine (EBM) and the creation of guidelines building bridges to pragmatic studies. TCIM promote, maintain and enhance health efficiently and often inexpensively in alignment with nature.

4 TCIM belong to intangible cultural heritage, and thus deserve to be protected

TCIM are part of intangible cultural heritage connecting the ancient to the new generation. We propose holistic and sustainable systems of healthcare focused on real prevention including lifestyle medicine.

5 TCIM can reduce the costs of public healthcare substantially

Public healthcare budgets in developed countries have experienced a rapid increase over the last decades, financial sustainability of current national health systems is unfeasible. Health promotion, combined with effective prevention and TCIM treatment support, will improve public budgets by reducing social and health care costs.

6 Health freedom is a basic human right

The Presidium insists on elevation of citizens´ voices and their right to health freedom and choice, based on empowerment and knowledge for informed health decisions, as well as safety of the patient.

7 TCIM are connected with ecological principles

The Presidium emphasizes attention to standards for healing our local environment and the whole planet, addressing ecological threats. We support the positive impact of human and animal-friendly agriculture and good manufacturing practices.

8 Let´s promote education in TCIM

The Presidium in this spirit, proactively participates in national and international health, social and educational policy discussions. We educate professionals and the public to promote space for TCIM research and publications so that our TCIM disciplines are given a similar status to those of conventional medicine.

9 TCIM need to gain sufficient media coverage

We connect to all media increasing TCIM’s presence in the healthcare conversation.

10 Steps in international politics are to be taken

The Presidium will contact representatives across parliaments and international organizations, on behalf of our own organizations to indicate our affiliation to the activities of Vision 2023 Prague. We invite global cooperation in factual data dissemination, active involvement in our ongoing projects, and mutual co-optation and cooperation.

In Prague on 18th September 2023

This document concerns an increasingly important area of health care, it is addressed not only to the professional community but also to the general public. Please share it with your contacts and friends.