WHO convened an online workshop of the International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (WHO-IRCH) Working Group 2 on quality control, standardization and sustainability of herbal medicines on 23 September 2026.
The workshop brought together around 80 participants from 18 WHO-IRCH members to exchange regulatory and technical experience and identify areas for further cooperation. It was organized by the National Institutes for Drug Control (NIDC) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China.
The meeting opened with remarks from YU Jiangyong, Deputy Director of the Drug Registration Department of NMPA; XU Miao, Deputy General Director of NIDC; and Dr Sungchol Kim, Chair of WHO-IRCH and WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre. Dr Kim expressed WHO’s appreciation to NIDC of NMPA for organizing the workshop and highlighted the value of continued international cooperation and knowledge sharing.
“China’s experience and continued engagement offer valuable opportunities for knowledge sharing and international cooperation,” Dr Kim said.
Experts discussed practical approaches to herbal medicine quality evaluation, botanical identification, laboratory testing and regulatory oversight. Experiences were shared by regulators and technical experts from Uganda and Sri Lanka, the United States Pharmacopeia and China.
The workshop contributes to implementation of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 by supporting Member States to strengthen regulatory capacity, share technical experience and advance appropriate approaches to the quality and safety of herbal medicines. It also complements WHO’s work on internationally relevant standards, including the International Herbal Pharmacopoeia.
The outcomes will inform the continuing work of Working Group 2 and discussions at the 17th WHO-IRCH Annual Meeting on 16–17 December 2026, preceded by workshops of Working Group 1 on safety and regulation of herbal medicines and Working Group 3 on efficacy and intended use of herbal medicines.
WHO also thanked the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China for its continued support for WHO’s work in traditional medicine.
