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Hu Zijing applies pestle needle therapy on a patient experiencing headaches in Leribe, Lesotho, on July 25, 2025. Photos: Courtesy of Hu Zijing, a TCM doctor based in Johannesburg, South Africa
This illustrated manual presents TCM wellness knowledge and common disease management methods in a way that is easy for African readers to understand, covering practical topics such as seasonal health maintenance, acupoint massage, and the medicinal use of food. According to Cui Yongqiang, editor of the atlas and a medical professor of integrative medicine at Beijing Guang'an Men Hospital and China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, the atlas was compiled to meet the personalized needs of African communities for TCM treatments, especially acupuncture.
"All acupoints are clearly labeled in both English and French for easy reference," Cui told the Global Times. The terms used in the illustrations adopt internationally recognized names and abbreviations, making the atlas compatible with the World Health Organization's acupuncture charts.
"This is a practical tool for a wide range of users, from medical practitioners to TCM enthusiasts, and is suitable for medical institutions, educational settings, wellness centers, and even households."
This atlas will be used by Chinese medical teams aiding Africa. Cui noted that as Chinese medical missions have helped many Africans relieve illness through TCM treatments and knowledge, the concepts of meridians and acupoints are also being introduced locally. Due to their natural, low-cost, and effective qualities, acupuncture and massage have become increasingly popular in many African countries - reaching even modest community clinics.
Many TCM doctors leading Chinese medical teams to Africa have expressed surprise at the enthusiasm and trust of local people for traditional Chinese medicine. Over time, these doctors forge deep bonds and trust with African patients through their daily dedication and the healing power of acupuncture needles.
Zhu Yongwang, a doctor specializing in acupuncture from North China's Shanxi Province who traveled to Cameroon as part of a medical aid mission, is one such physician.
Upon first arriving at the local hospital in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Zhu was astonished by the daily flow of patients seeking TCM treatment. He told the Global Times that he had never imagined so many people in Africa would be enthusiastic about acupuncture and other traditional Chinese therapies.
Each day, the acupuncture outpatient clinic opened from 8 am to 5 pm, welcoming more than 40 local patients. However, due to limited hospital resources and with only nine treatment beds available, many patients had to wait in line for their turn.
For various reasons related to climate and environment, joint pain in the neck, shoulders, waist, and legs, as well as hemiplegia and facial paralysis, are common ailments in Africa. There are also many cases of nerve damage and limb dysfunction caused by traffic accidents and cerebrovascular incidents. However, the lack of medical infrastructure and diagnostic tools remains a major obstacle for local people seeking treatment. As a therapy for pain in the lower back, legs, and knees, Chinese acupuncture - renowned for being simple, convenient, affordable, and effective - has gradually taken root across Africa, according to the China News Service.
Zhu shared an experience with a local patient, an 18-year-old girl, who had suffered from facial paralysis for a long time but could not afford proper treatment. After Zhu helped her recover with acupuncture in a short period, she brought several pineapples to thank him - a precious gift for a local family of modest means.
In other African countries, Zhao Ping, a member of the Togo medical aid team, conducted a survey among acupuncture patients, gathering over 1,600 valid questionnaires.
The results showed an effectiveness rate of over 80 percent for treating lumbar muscle strain and peripheral facial paralysis using acupuncture. Patients ranged from as young as 10 to an average age of 45. As demand for TCM treatments continues to rise, working overtime has become the norm for Chinese acupuncture doctors in Africa.
Why acupuncture is now so popular in Africa? Zhu explained that since the TCM master Lü Jingshan first impressed Cameroon with a single silver needle in 1975, generations of Chinese doctors have used TCM to demonstrate its curative effects. This accumulation of experience and trust over five decades has helped establish TCM's influence across the continent.
Tasneem Patel is in the middle of an acupuncture treatment for a patient suffering from lower back pain in Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 13, 2025.
The growing popularity of acupuncture in Africa has also sparked a strong interest among local students and medical personnel to learn about TCM. In the African hospital where Zhu worked, seven African university students were assigned to shadow and learn from him.
"In my spare time, I also shared with them TCM wellness exercises such as Baduanjin and the 24-form Taiji or tai chi. I required students to remember the acupoints and meridians they had learned each week, and mark them accurately on patients' bodies," Zhu said, believing this teaching method allows African students to better master TCM knowledge and gain insight into Chinese culture.
The China-Zimbabwe TCM Acupuncture Center is the first TCM clinic in Zimbabwe and the first acupuncture center in southern Africa, having trained the first generation of local acupuncture specialists, according to China News Service.
Many Chinese doctors on medical aid missions are eager to teach TCM diagnostic and treatment skills to local doctors and enthusiasts. They said that they believe in the principle of "teaching a man to fish," striving to cultivate local TCM talent so that Chinese medicine can take root in Africa and its culture can spread farther and wider.
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