Change continues in the traditional Chinese medicine sector, but leopards are still left behind
The 78th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) has adopted the global traditional medicine strategy 2025-34 which sets out guiding principles, strategic objectives, directives and actions for WHO, its member states and other stakeholders to support the development of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM).
While TCIM plays an important role in meeting some of the healthcare needs of people in many countries around the world, the use of animal parts in some traditional medicines presents a significant threat to the species exploited for this purpose.
Leopard bone on sale in China (c) EIA
Demand stemming from traditional medicine drives the poaching and illegal trade of threatened species such as tigers, leopards, pangolins, rhinos, bears and musk deer.
China continues to legally permit the use of species such as leopards and pangolins in licensed medicines and treatments. While such usage represents only a small fraction of TCIM and is not representative of the sector as a whole, it is nonetheless a serious risk to the survival of these species.
It is therefore encouraging to see WHO has taken on board some of the suggestions made by EIA, StichtingSPOTS, IUCN Netherlands and 98 other NGOs in a letter sent in April this year. In particular, the inclusion of an action for member states to enforce relevant restrictions on the use of endangered species “including as appropriate, timebound plans to phase out current usage and to research and implement sustainable alternatives” strengthens the new strategy’s message on biodiversity protection.
It is disappointing that the strategy does not clearly ask member states to end the use of threatened wild animals for medicinal purposes. However, this version of the strategy is an improvement on the previous draft and the earlier version.
Vinegar-processed pangolin scales on sale in China as a medicine product
During the discussions at the Assembly, while a few member states mentioned the need for sustainability, the Netherlands stood out for clearly urging countries to reduce the risk of infections from trade in animals and animal products and to combat illegal trade to ensure the health of species.
Calls to end the use of endangered wildlife in traditional medicine aren’t coming only from environmental or animal welfare NGOs. Earlier this month, I attended and spoke at the 3rd conference for Wildlife Protection in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) organised by the Coalition for Wildlife Protection in TCM in Hue, Vietnam.
The coalition is a network of TCM practitioners, educators, researchers, manufacturers and distributors who have pledged not to buy, sell or use the products or ingredients of endangered animal in their medicinal practices or businesses. The Hue conference saw the creation of a new chapter of the coalition in Vietnam, led by the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
I found it interesting and encouraging to hear conference speakers present research that had been conducted on the use of substitutes for wild animal parts such as pangolin scales and bear bile. Some of this research dates back to the 1990s and information about substitutes appears to have been available for a long while. Some speakers expressed a note of frustration at the reputational harm caused to TCM from continuing or perceived use of endangered species.
While many of the presentations focused on substitutes for rhino horn, bear bile and pangolin scales, it was concerning that there wasn’t as much focus on leopard bones.
Leopards have been used in TCM as a substitute for tigers since 1993 and dozens of licensed products claiming to contain leopard bone are available online in China, despite the fact that international commercial trade in leopard bone has been prohibited since 1975.
Populations in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam have become locally extinct in the past decade and China has a relatively small and fragmented population of the species.
Leopards are the Asian big cat most frequently reported in illegal trade and CITES urges countries to close domestic markets for the species which are contributing to poaching or illegal trade.
However, China’s domestic market for leopard TCM products has largely escaped scrutiny by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) community.
While this state of affairs continues, it leaves the future of Asia’s leopards in peril.
