Abstract: The international standardization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is pivotal for its global acceptance and integration into global health systems. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) lead these efforts, yet their overlapping roles necessitate coordination. This study examines their contributions to TCM standardization and their implications for global health policy. The study analyzed WHO and ISO documents, including strategies, standards, and reports, using a comparative framework across macro (strategic planning), meso (organizational approaches), and micro (specific standards) levels. WHO provides foundational, public welfare-oriented standards, while ISO offers market-driven technical specifications. Overlaps in terminology and Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) standards highlight coordination gaps, potentially causing inconsistencies. Enhanced collaboration between WHO and ISO can harmonize TCM standards, eliminate redundancies and ensure coherence. Policy recommendations include clarifying roles, establishing joint mechanisms, and evaluating standards post-publication.
HUANG et al. (Mon,) studied this question.