WHO and International Bodies on Acupuncture
What the World Health Organization has actually said about acupuncture in its own documents, from 1999 guidelines to 2025 strategy, with dates, and what those documents do not say.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
What WHO does and does not do
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a United Nations health agency. On traditional medicine, its documents set out survey results, safety and training standards, and policy for governments. WHO says its aim is to promote the safe and effective use of traditional and complementary medicine through appropriate regulation of products, practices and practitioners. [1]Those documents are not a ruling that acupuncture works for any particular disease. This page lists WHO statements as read in WHO's own publications, each with its year, because some of them are now old.
Timeline of WHO statements
| Year | Document | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | World Health Assembly resolution WHA44.34 | Urged Member States to introduce measures for the regulation and control of acupuncture, as recalled in the 1999 guidelines [2] |
| 1999 | Guidelines on basic training and safety in acupuncture | Says acupuncture began more than 2,500 years ago, reached neighbouring Asian countries in the 6th century and Europe by the early 16th century [2] |
| 2008 (reprinted 2009) | WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region | Sets a method for locating points and the locations of 361 points for teaching, research and clinical service [3] |
| 2014 | WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023 | Says that, among 129 reporting countries, 80 percent recognized the use of acupuncture (interim survey data) [4] |
| 2019 | WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine | Acupuncture the most common practice, reported by 113 Member States [5] |
| 2020 | Benchmarks for the practice of acupuncture and for the training of acupuncture | Safety, facilities and training norms [1][6] |
| 2025 | Global traditional medicine strategy 2025-2034 | Adopted by the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly; stresses evidence-based traditional medicine and rights of Indigenous Peoples [7] |
Standard point names and locations
In 1989 WHO convened a Scientific Group that approved a standard international acupuncture nomenclature. [2] The later point-location standard was prepared through a series of consultations between 2003 and 2006 that included advisers from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. [3] It standardizes names and locations, which helps teaching and research. It says nothing about whether needling a point helps any condition. See WHO standard point names.The 2019 survey and the 2025 strategy
The 2019 report found acupuncture the most commonly reported practice, with 113 Member States, and found that 78 Member States regulated traditional and complementary medicine providers as at 2018. [5] The 2025 strategy was adopted by the World Health Assembly on 27 May 2025 and sets four strategic objectives: strengthening the evidence base, regulation, integration into health systems, and community empowerment. [7] It covers traditional medicine as a whole rather than acupuncture alone.Other international bodies
UNESCO inscribed acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine on its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2010. [8] That marks cultural value, not clinical proof. For how national bodies treat it, see acupuncture around the world, and for other reputable summaries, finding reliable information.Frequently asked questions
Does WHO endorse acupuncture?
WHO produces safety and training standards and reports that most Member States use it. Its documents read here do not say acupuncture is proven for any disease. [5][1]
What does WHO say about pregnancy and acupuncture?
Its 2020 benchmark says not to treat the lower abdomen or lumbosacral region in pregnant women, to avoid contraction of the uterus. [1]
Does WHO say who can practice acupuncture?
It sets suggested training norms, but it says each country's rules vary and national authorities decide. [2][6]
Has WHO standardized acupuncture points?
Yes. WHO's 2008 standard fixes the names and locations of 361 points for the Western Pacific Region. [3]
Where can I read WHO's acupuncture documents?
WHO's online repository holds the 1999 guidelines, the 2008 point-location standard and the 2020 benchmarks. Check each document's year before relying on it. [2][3][1]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
The 1999 guidelines on training and safety
The 2020 safety and training benchmarks
The training benchmark describes full training for people without a medical background. Its suggested annex totals 1,568 learning hours at basic level and 2,468 at advanced level, including 400 and 500 hours of supervised clinical practice. [6] These are WHO's suggestions, and countries set their own rules. See licensing and training.
Lists of diseases "approved by WHO"
References
- World Health Organization, WHO benchmarks for the practice of acupuncture. 2020. Read 2026-10-22.
- World Health Organization, Guidelines on basic training and safety in acupuncture. 1999. Read 2026-10-22.
- World Health Organization Western Pacific Region, WHO standard acupuncture point locations in the Western Pacific Region. 2008, reprinted 2009. Read 2026-10-22.
- World Health Organization, WHO traditional medicine strategy: 2014-2023. Read 2026-10-22.
- World Health Organization, WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine 2019. Read 2026-10-22.
- World Health Organization, WHO benchmarks for the training of acupuncture. 2020. Read 2026-10-22.
- World Health Organization, Global traditional medicine strategy 2025-2034. Read 2026-10-22.
- UNESCO, Acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine. Inscribed 2010. Read 2026-10-22.