Evidence & WHO
Last revised:
Status according to the WHO
In May 2019 the World Health Assembly adopted the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), in effect since 1 January 2022. It includes an optional supplementary chapter on traditional medicine conditions. It is used to record and count traditional medicine services, is not intended for mortality reporting, and the WHO page does not present it as a statement that the treatments work.
What is and is not scientifically supported
Tu Youyou received the 2015 Nobel Prize for the discovery of artemisinin against malaria. The Nobel Committee states that while searching for the active compound in sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) she returned to the ancient literature, which gave her clues for extracting it. It is one of the few cases where a traditional herb led to a drug that passed modern trials.
Most other TCM theory, including qi, meridians and tongue or pulse diagnosis, still lacks convincing evidence from modern clinical studies. Review sources (see below) also flag safety concerns: some herbal products can be toxic, interact with drugs or be contaminated, and trade in endangered species is a separate problem.
For this reason TCMCheck is not a medical device and does not diagnose. It is an educational tool that shows how a TCM practitioner might read your answers, and recommends an in-person consultation.