Thirty-two medical workers from 18 developing countries will start a three-month training program focusing on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in north China's Shanxi province this month, according to local authorities.

Their courses will focus on acupuncture treatment and Chinese-style massage, said Yan Ping, director of an acupuncture and massage school under the Shanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

"Acupuncture can be applied to various diseases without causing side effects. It is therefore referred to as 'green therapy' and has become popular among foreigners," Yan said.

Suchada Anotayanonth, a Thai woman with 25 years of experience working in a hospital, said she still has a lot to learn about acupuncture, despite already using it frequently in her daily work.

"Western medicine uses too much drugs, which are costly and can have strong side effects," Suchada said.

"It is difficult and challenging to learn TCM," said Victor Nkhoma, a Malawi native who learned about TCM five years ago while attending university.

Nkhoma said he hopes to introduce the treatment to his country's public hospitals, since few people in Malawi are familiar with acupuncture.

The Shanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine started offering acupuncture courses to international students in 1998. More than 800 trainees from about 90 countries have taken the courses thus far.

Medical workers participating in the training session will spend one month trying out their skills at local TCM hospitals and research institutions.

The Shanxi Provincial Health Department has provided the medical workers with English translations of the teaching materials used in the course to better accomodate them.