globalized healthcare stems from an ancient idea . the first recorded global initiative in the history of medicine and healthcare occurred in early 7th - century asia , when on the recommendation of his chinese and nepalese wives , the founder of the tibetan empire , king songtsen gampo ( 605 - 650 ) , convened the first recorded international medical conference . he invited physicians from china , nepal , india , kashmir , and persia ( iran ) to traverse the silk road to the tibetan plateau , the  roof of the world ,  and to bring with them medical texts from their various traditions to be translated into tibetan for syncretistic study . this initial foray into multinational healthcare was so successful that subsequent 8th - century king trisong - detson ( gampo 's descendant ) organized a second multicultural medical conference . physicians were invited from china , nepal , india , kashmir , persia , and the turkic regions of central asia ( including what is now afghanistan ) to a second multicultural medical conference . again , each attendant was obliged to provide at least one medical text for translation and discussion . the proceedings were synthesized in a single great book , the gyu - zhi (  the four medical tantras  ) , which became the foundation of all subsequent tibetan buddhist medicine and is still studied today . interesting to note , in 2008 and 2011 , the men - tsee - khang , the tibetan medical astrological institute whose purpose is to preserve and promote tibetan medicine , published the first english translation of the first 3 tantras of the gyu - zhi . tibetan medicine has become globalized , and as a result , local practices of healing are being transformed in both tibet and the west . tibetan medicine is produced as a global commodity and consumed as a  local  tradition . the world of medicine is as diverse as the people who have benefitted from it . there exist as many healing systems as there are cultures in the world . following are descriptions of a few traditional systems ( in addition to modern western american / european practice ) : chinese medicine , established more than 5000 years ago , is the oldest , encompasses many different practices including acupuncture and herbal remedies , is rooted in the ancient philosophy of taoism and life energy ( known as qi ) , and is currently practiced together with western medicine ; japanese medicine ( kampo ) spun off from the chinese system in the 7th century , was developed through empirical trials of herbal medicine and employs more than 140 standardized , regulated , ancient multiherb formulas that are widely prescribed and covered by japan 's national healthcare system ; tibetan medicine , a blend of many traditions involving the use of herbal remedies , is not officially recognized as a health system but nonetheless is widely practiced from asia to the middle east and increasingly in the united states and europe ; korean medicine ( koryo ) evolved using chinese medical concepts , encompasses an exceptionally rich flora , and is practiced together with western medicine and researched for scientific validations today ; bhutanese medicine ( gso - ba - rig - pa ) , another ancient tradition with roots in buddhism and tibetan traditional medicine , utilizes 3000 species of plants and is practiced in tandem with modern medicine ; ayurveda in india is based on a strong belief in life energy , uses 2000 plant species , and was founded on the concept that a single consciousness connects everything in the universe ; siddha , also practiced in india and similarly based on imbalance of doshas or humors , uses an elaborate and unique diagnostic technique and is integrated into the national health care system ; and unani , a muslim - hindu hybrid primarily influenced by greek , persian , and islamic medicine , uses a variety of diets and drugs and is also part of the national health care systems of greece , iran , and india . this list represents only a small fraction of healing techniques currently and historically employed around the world . according to the world health organization , about 80% of people who live in developing countries depend upon sustainable , traditional healing systems as a primary source of healthcare . interestingly , many of these healthcare models are not officially recognized or regulated , and some are even prohibited . in africa , only 61% of nations have legal statutes for traditional medicine systems , and appropriate budgeting for them is usually inadequate or totally lacking . all of these non - western systems are holistic ; they connect patients ' physical symptoms with all other dimensions of their lives . these systems are founded upon the belief that well - being is intrinsically linked to the whole person body , mind , and spirit  including behavioral , psychological , spiritual , environmental , and cultural factors . the patient is intensely personal , inseparable , and whole . whereas western medicine tends to focus on curing illness in various parts of the body , frequently relying upon costly technology that is unaffordable elsewhere , the continuum relies upon preventive medicine , health maintenance , local plants as medicine , food as medicine , and long - term relationships with healers as being far more cost effective . interestingly , western medical science departed alone from the universal healthcare tradition but did so for historical and political  not scientific  reasons . the scientific revolution in the 16th and 17th centuries coincided with the religious wars of the reformation and counter - reformation , the dangers of which encouraged scientists to become exclusively specialized , focusing on one safe subject at a time and excluding all others . though this strategy certainly accelerated the development of western science and technology , especially when paired with commercial enterprise , it has become increasingly clear that the excluded factors often reemerge as problems . technology has eliminated or greatly reduced many of the barriers to communication including distance , time , and cost . the time is right to begin the development of an integrated system that promotes and facilitates the globalization of medicine and healthcare . the silk road and the roof of the world are now in cyberspace , only a click away . the revolution in information technology  global , wireless , and instantaneous communication from human to human , human to machine , and even machine to machine promotes not only a sense of flattening in medicine and healthcare but also an all - important convergence . at the same time , we do not seek  and in fact actively want to avoid  a drive toward homogenization . rather , we must strive for universal integration , constructive convergence , and diverse collaboration that bridges both systems and traditions . we must commit to respect and conserve the richness of each variety of medicine , to ensure complementarity , and to promote creative and mutually enriching hybridization . the burgeoning awareness of systems biology is encouraging more open - minded and multidisciplinary approaches to problem solving . complex diseases have called for complex integrative approaches , leading to a new acceptance of outside traditions . biomedicine is now encouraging us to accept holistic , low - tech , and integrative medical practices as viable options . for the first time in many years , technology has allowed healthcare to re - globalize . with the dissolution of multinational boundaries and the universal free access to information , the notion of holistic and global - based care is emerging as the future of medicine . it is now generally agreed upon that we have much to learn from our international colleagues , as we all have more in common than we realize . gahm is a part of this trend and serves as a logical next step in the process . through the development of an open , interactive , and rapidly expanding communication platform and network , gahm aims to further accelerate and embody the constructive convergence of advances in health and medicine for the betterment of health management , healthcare delivery , and patient outcomes . gahm sees the various different approaches to medicine not as mutually exclusive but as complementary and mutually reinforcing . discussion of various healthcare models is conducive to everyone 's benefit and ultimately will improve health worldwide . gahm 's focus on case reports will be especially valuable in integrating diverse approaches and therapies at the practical level . as members of the editorial team of this new journal , we believe that the enormous potential benefits in global convergence and pluralism in medicine and healthcare  in science , in professional practice , and in the basic health of the peoples of the world  are so palpable and exciting that we see gahm as both a calling and a mission . together , we will learn how to coordinate and synthesize , without homogenization , the wonderfully rich diversity of perspectives for improving the health of all peoples around the globe .
globalization  the increasing transnational circulation of money , goods , people , ideas , and information worldwide  is generally recognized as one of the most powerful forces shaping our current and future history . 
 how is it affecting healthcare , and in that context , what is the purpose and significance of global advances in health and medicine ( gahm ) , publisher of this journal ? 
 our goal is not homogenization but rather to provide an opportunity for integration , convergence , and collaboration across cultures . by respecting and conserving the richness and diversity of each new medicine , 
 we embrace globalization.globalization is of course not new ; it began in the renaissance and particularly with the 15th- and 16th - century voyages of exploration by columbus , magellan , and others . 
 since the beginning of time , there have been interactions and exchanges among different peoples and cultures . 
 however , the current magnitude of globalization is unprecedented and yet still expanding rapidly .