WHO benchmarks for the practice of acupuncture

Overview

With the increasing use of acupuncture in clinical settings worldwide, there is a need to develop benchmarks for the practice of acupuncture, against which actual acupuncture treatment can be compared and evaluated. This document presents a stepwise guidance for the administration of acupuncture treatment, provides the minimum infrastructure requirements for delivering an acupuncture service and emphasizes the key elements for the safe practice of acupuncture.

This document offers a useful reference point to evaluate acupuncture practice which will benefit policymakers, health workers, education providers and the public in general. It forms an integral part of the updated benchmark series, targeting key modalities of traditional medicine intervention and contributing to the establishment of a reference toolkit for countries.