Chinese Medicine Board secures Australia-China Council Grant

09 Nov 2016

The Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (the Board) has successfully secured an Australia-China Council (ACC) Grant.

The Foreign Minister the Hon Julie Bishop MP announced the results of the 2016-17 ACC Grant round in August 2016.

The Board has obtained a grant of $20,000. The funding will be used to support a delegation of the Board to have its first visit to China (Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong) to facilitate dialogue and strengthen engagement with other international authorities that regulate Chinese Medicine practice. The objective is to enhance the regulatory role of the Board and facilitate workforce mobility. The Board sees this as a valuable opportunity to share learning, build relationships and gather information, in the interest of the Australian community.

‘Australia is the first Western country to comprehensively regulate the Chinese Medicine profession (both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine) within a single national health professional regulatory framework. The Board has established standards for registration of Chinese Medicine practitioners, accreditation standards for education and training, and processes to keep the public safe when accessing Chinese Medicine services from a practitioner,’ Chinese Medicine Board of Australia Chair, Professor Charlie Xue, said.

‘Through dialogue with international health regulators in Asia, the Board aims to enhance its regulatory capacity by gaining a richer understanding of the successes and challenges in regulation of the Chinese Medicine workforce, of its relationship with Western medicine and how the profession is organised.

‘Strengthening engagement with these organisations in China will build a professional network that informs workforce planning and processes for accreditation of qualifications for the international Chinese Medicine workforce including any requirements for transition to practice in Australia.’

A selection of Board members will represent the Board on the trip with visits to a number of local hospitals and health authorities planned. The Board will submit a travel report after returning to Australia.

The trip will be scheduled for the first half of 2017.

Background

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s ACC Grants Program strengthens links between Australia and China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan by supporting innovative activities to promote mutual understanding and foster stronger relations.

More information about the ACC, the grants program and the full list of successful grant recipients is available on the Australia China Council website.