CMAAA successfully hosted a year-end function

On 12 November 2023, the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Africa (CMAAA) successfully hosted a year-end event to celebrate the achievements of the year. Dr Zijing Hu, the President of the CMAAA, Dear Dr Razlog, the Honorary Affiliation of CMAAA, Dr Darren Carpenter, the Councillor of the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Professional Board of the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA), Dr Delpaul, the lecturer from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Ms Xie Dan, the Expert Counsellor of the CMAAA, members of CMAAA and guests attended the event.

Group photo

Dr Hu indicated that the CMAAA was dedicated to advancing the fields of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, along with complementary medicines with particular focuses on homeopathy and phytotherapy. The association was established in 2021. The association's logo symbolises the integration of acupuncture and Chinese materia medica on the African continent. Notably, Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture have been recognised as scarce skills by the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa. He highlighted the significant contributions that Dr Razlog made in the past few years, toward the development of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture professions in South Africa. Under her visionary leadership, she successfully restructured the department at the UJ, making it the sole higher education institution in the country offering acupuncture programs. This has provided a vital platform for training professional acupuncturists. Dr Razlog's leadership and support played a pivotal role in gaining approval from the Department of Higher Education and Training, the Council on Higher Education, and the AHPCSA for the acupuncture programs at UJ. He also acknowledged the contributions that Dr Carpenter and Dr Delpaul had made to the acupuncture discipline enhancement.

Dr Razlog expressed her appreciation and accepted the award of Honorary Affiliation of CMAAA. She stated the importance of acupuncture and complementary medicines in promoting public health. She indicated that Dr Hu had contributed immensely to the professional development and the upgrade of the acupuncture discipline in South Africa ensuring the public receives the best quality Chinese medicine and acupuncture services. She further motivated students to put more effort into their studies which would positively benefit their future in the world of work.

Dr Carpenter pointed out the roles of the AHPCSA in ensuring the quality of complementary medicine practices to the public. He further explained the functions of the is to promote and protect the health of the public. He elucidated on the relationship between AHPCSA and the associations, emphasising the importance of the associations as the communication link between the AHPCSA and the members of the profession.

Dr Delpaul shared her lived experiences of her previous study at UJ. Her study experiences profoundly motivated students to study for excellence, which ensures that they would be competent in the working world.

The event was followed by a certificate distribution ceremony and various other interesting activities.