The VHL TCIM Americas Library (Virtual Health Library – Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine) is one of the sections of the Virtual Health Library (VHL). A part of this section is its own database called MOSAICO which contains scientific publications of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine as well as the non-scientific publications and co called “non-standard” documents. VHL is a kind of an online database that is similar to the MEDLINE database, however, the main geographic focus is on the scientific sources in Latin America and Caribbean countries. VHL has been founded by The Latin American and Caribbean Centre on Heath Sciences also known by its original name BIblioteca Regional de MEdicina (BIREME). It is a specialized centre of PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) that conducts technical cooperation activities on the management of scientific information coming from regional, national and international sources with the aim of the health development in Latin America and Caribbean countries. The VHL TCIM section members come mainly from the Latin America but not only from there. There whole network includes: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Equator, USA, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela.
The main aim of VHL TCIM Americas:
Increase of awareness, availability, accessibility of TCIM. Support to the management of scientific information, technical cooperation activities, knowledge and health education that would help making sophisticated decisions with the aim to get TCIM more developed and available as a part of the health systems in Americas.
The main sections of VHL TCIM Platform
• The register of institutions (a list of the stakeholders of the region).
• Standards and policy (legislation, policy and directives regarding TCIM in Americas).
• Comprehension to TCIM (information of the health systems and TCIM therapies including the protocols/proves synthesis.
• Traditional medical approaches in Americas (information of the therapies provided by the native people, African descendants and other ethnic groups in Americas).
• The two sections focussing on the strengthening the research of TCIM conducted by the Brazilian Academic Consortium for Integrative Health.
• Other sections: information of the selfcare, conceptual models and health paradigms, news, events/congresses.
Dr. Natalia Sofia Aldana-Martinez, MD, MSc from Columbia, Editor-in-Chief of VHL TCIM Americas at the inaugural videocongress the World Health Congress 2020 Prague:
