Standardizing traditional medicine

+ invasive species cost billions in damage US Edition - Today's top story: Traditional medicine provides health care to many around the globe – the WHO is trying to make it safer and more standardized [View in browser]( US Edition | 6 September 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Untapped political power of the “nones”]( - [Owning a business is a red flag for some recruiters]( - [Alabama moves to protect Black voters]( Lead story If you’ve ever tried acupuncture, practiced yoga or used an herbal tincture, you may have received a form of traditional medicine. Traditional medicine encompasses healing practices from communities around the globe – many of which have been using these forms of medicine for centuries. For many people, traditional medicine is the first stop when seeking care – sometimes because it’s more accessible than Western medicine, sometimes because it’s part of their cultural history. Over recent years, the WHO has started to collect data and develop standard benchmarks for some types of traditional medicine, and last month it held its very first global summit on traditional medicine. Researchers Ling Zhao and Paul Terry from the University of Tennessee wrote about what it means that the [WHO is investing more time and resources in traditional medicine](. With more people seeking this type of medicine, standards and data are key to making sure practitioners are practicing these medicines safely and making them accessible at a wide scale. [ [Science from the scientists themselves. Sign up for our weekly science email newsletter.]( ] Mary Magnuson Assistant Science Editor Ayurveda is one form of traditional medicine that can integrate aromatherapy. It’s popular in South Asia. Microgen Images/Science Photo Library [Traditional medicine provides health care to many around the globe – the WHO is trying to make it safer and more standardized]( Ling Zhao, University of Tennessee; Paul D. Terry, University of Tennessee More people are seeking out traditional forms of medicine, from acupuncture to herbal medicines. The WHO is working to develop standards to make these healing practices implementable on a wide sale. Environment + Energy - [The US committed to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, but like other countries, it’s struggling to make progress]( Scott Schang, Wake Forest University; John Dernbach, Widener University Halfway to the SDGs’ 2030 deadline, countries have made progress, but most are struggling to meet all 17 goals. 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The IRA still falls short of the national target to cut emissions 50%-52% below 2005 levels by 2030.]( From the story, [The US broke global trade rules to try to fix climate change – to finish the job, it has to fix the trade system]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Spoutible]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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