According to information released by the World Health Organization, at present there are about four billion people in the world who use herbal medicine to treat their diseases. The number accounts for 80% of the world's total population.

Over the next decade, the use of herbal medicine will become popular around the world. More than 70 countries and regions have signed cooperative agreements with China with regard to the use and exploitation of herbal medicine.

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine has been widely used in over 160 countries and regions, said Zhang Qi, head of the International Cooperation Department under the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Guangzhou last weekend, the Nanfang Daily reported.

Many countries have their own traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinics. Britain has a population of 50 million people and there are about 3,000 TCM clinics in the country. There are 15 million people living in the Netherlands and the country has 1,600 TCM clinics. Canada has a population of 30 million people and the country has 3,000 TCM clinics. Australia has a population of 19 million people and there are 4,000 TCM clinics in the country. Apart from these, there are many TCM pharmacists in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Although there are a great number of TCM pharmacists in the world, their professional practicing capabilities vary greatly. Some of the TCM doctors actually do not have a certificate.

On September 22, a working committee that deals with the certificate registration and issuing for overseas TCM doctors and pharmacists was established in Guangzhou. The establishment of the working committee was approved by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and it was attached to the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In future, overseas TCM doctors and pharmacists can apply to the working committee for getting a professional certificate. The professional certificate can distinguish legal doctors from the illegal ones and it can also rate the doctors' practicing level.

The working committee will become a good source for overseas TCM doctors and pharmacists to learn knowledge about TCM and make their profession acknowledged in society.

(China News Service September 26, 2007)