Berlin’s Charité Named WHO Centre for Integrative Medicine

The Charité Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (CCCTIM) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin has been designated as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Traditional, Integrative and Preventive Medicine for the next four years.

The appointment makes CCCTIM the first collaborating centre to support WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in this thematic area, positioning Berlin as a leading hub for traditional and integrative medicine within the WHO European Region.

Supporting WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Strategy

The designation formalises CCCTIM's role in advancing evidence-based research and supporting the integration of traditional and complementary therapies into health systems, in line with the WHO Strategy on Traditional Medicine.

The four-year workplan focuses on three core areas:

• Clinical research on integrative therapies

• Health system integration and policy research

• Dissemination of scientific evidence at global traditional medicine forums

Each area is aligned with the mandate of WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Centre, which aims to strengthen the scientific foundation, safety, quality and effectiveness of traditional medicine practices worldwide.

Evidence, Policy and Real-World Data

As a WHO Collaborating Centre, CCCTIM will undertake a broad range of activities designed to support Member States and inform international policy development, including:

• Systematic reviews of existing research

• Pilot clinical studies

• Generation of Real-World Evidence

• Analysis of health-care utilisation patterns

• Development of best-practice implementation frameworks

• Contributions to policy dialogues

• Production of publications, events and training materials

The Centre's work is intended to help countries design integrative health models that are evidence-informed, safe and adapted to national contexts.

Leadership and Research Capacity

CCCTIM is jointly led by Professor Dr. med. Georg Seifert and Dr. Hiba Boujnah. The leadership team brings expertise across clinical medicine, research methodology, health policy development and medical documentation.

The Centre benefits from Charité's broader research ecosystem, including clinical units, core laboratory facilities, data infrastructure and interdisciplinary research expertise — resources that underpin delivery of the four-year collaboration plan.

Strengthening Global Knowledge Exchange

The designation underscores WHO's growing emphasis on integrating scientifically validated traditional and complementary therapies into mainstream health systems where appropriate.

It also signals increased international collaboration aimed at:

• Expanding high-quality scientific evidence

• Supporting policy frameworks for integrative care

• Facilitating global knowledge-sharing platforms

By anchoring this collaboration in Berlin, WHO strengthens its European research base while advancing global dialogue on traditional and integrative medicine.

The partnership is expected to support Member States in developing more inclusive, evidence-driven health systems that incorporate validated traditional practices alongside conventional care.