National TCM body to bolster capacity to treat skin conditions

China has established 25 traditional Chinese medicine specialty departments for dermatology and is planning to set up a national TCM quality control center for skin diseases, a health official said on Tuesday.

Ouyang Bo, an official with the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said during a news conference that there are now a range of effective treatments for common skin conditions such as eczema, hives, and acne.

She said that TCM therapies — including fire needling, herbal fumigation, and wet compresses — have gained wide acceptance among the public.

She added that the administration has been working to refine the terminology system and technical standards in dermatology and has issued a number of recommended national standards in the field.

Leading TCM hospitals have also received support to conduct research on complex diseases such as psoriasis — a chronic condition marked by scaly, red patches — and vitiligo, which causes white patches to develop on the skin.

Ouyang said the administration will continue to enhance overall TCM capacity in treating skin diseases, accelerate relevant research initiatives, and further upgrade standards and systems in the field.