The World Health Organization (WHO) has formally designated the Centre for Complementary and Integrative Medicine at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, as a Collaborating Centre for Traditional, Integrative and Preventive Medicine for a four-year term. The appointment marks a significant development for the WHO European Region, positioning Berlin as a strategic hub for advancing research and policy dialogue in this expanding field of healthcare.
The newly designated centre will contribute to the work of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GTMC), which was established to promote the rigorous evaluation and responsible integration of traditional medicine practices worldwide. Germany’s inclusion in this global effort underscores the growing emphasis on evidence-based approaches to complementary and integrative therapies within national health systems.
Strengthening the Evidence Base
Traditional and integrative medicine is used by millions of people globally. According to WHO reports, many countries — including several across Europe — have incorporated certain complementary therapies into their healthcare frameworks. However, variability in regulation, training standards and scientific validation has remained a challenge.
The Berlin-based centre will focus on clinical research into integrative therapies, policy analysis related to health system integration, and the systematic review of existing scientific literature. Activities are expected to include pilot clinical studies, evaluation of real-world data, and the development of implementation frameworks designed to support best practice models.
Peer-reviewed research published in journals such as The BMJ and The Lancet has previously highlighted both the potential benefits and the methodological limitations associated with some complementary approaches, emphasising the importance of high-quality trials and transparent reporting standards. By aligning its programme with WHO’s global strategy on traditional medicine, the German centre aims to address these gaps through structured research and international collaboration.
Integration into National Health Systems
Germany has a longstanding history of incorporating certain complementary therapies — including phytotherapy and anthroposophic medicine — into segments of clinical care. The designation is expected to further examine how such practices can be responsibly integrated alongside conventional treatments, ensuring patient safety, clinical effectiveness and regulatory oversight.
The centre’s work will also involve analysing patterns of healthcare utilisation and supporting policy discussions among WHO Member States. Dissemination of findings through academic publications, professional training materials and international forums will form part of the four-year mandate.
Leadership and Infrastructure
The initiative is jointly led by Professor Georg Seifert and Dr Hiba Boujnah, whose expertise spans clinical medicine, research methodology and health policy. Supported by the clinical and academic infrastructure of Charité in Berlin, Germany, the centre is positioned to conduct interdisciplinary research while contributing to global dialogue on standards and governance in integrative healthcare.
A Broader Global Context
WHO’s global strategy on traditional medicine emphasises three pillars: strengthening the evidence base, ensuring safety and quality, and facilitating appropriate integration into health systems. The collaboration with the Berlin centre reflects these objectives and signals a broader international movement towards structured evaluation of traditional and complementary medical practices.
As health systems worldwide seek more patient-centred and preventive models of care, the development of robust scientific evidence will be central to determining the role that integrative medicine may play. Germany’s new designation within the WHO framework represents a step towards that objective, reinforcing the importance of research transparency, regulatory standards and cross-border knowledge exchange in global health.