On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first-of-its-kind WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) along with World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus in Gujarat’s Jamnagar.
The Centre aims to channel the potential of traditional medicine, by integrating it with technological advancements and evidence-based research. While Jamnagar will serve as the base, the new Centre aims to engage and benefit the world.
It is a matter of great pride for every Indian that on the afternoon of the 19th, the foundation stone of the @WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine will be laid. This Centre will add strength to the efforts of using traditional forms of medicine to further global wellness.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2022
What is traditional medicine and how its making strides globally? We take a look.
Traditional medicine has a long history, says WHO. It describes traditional medicine as “the sum total of the knowledge, skill, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness”.
India’s role in traditional medicine
Traditional Indian medicine is one of the oldest medical sciences in the world and Ayurveda is the most popular among them.
“Ayurveda is holistic medicine, which takes the body, mind, and spirit as a whole. It is based on the principle that human beings achieve physical, mental, and emotional health through harmonious coexistence with nature,” according to a paper titled “Traditional Medicine in India”.
Books on Ayurvedic medicine can be traced back to the early 100 BC.
The other practices of traditional medicine include yoga, Siddha, and homeopathy.
Yoga therapy is the selective use of various yoga tools — such as poses, breathing techniques, relaxation exercises, and meditation, as well as dietary and lifestyle advice — to help people with physical or psychological health conditions.
The Siddha system of medicine is mainly practised in south India, especially Tamil Nadu and Kerala. “It is one of the earliest traditional medicine systems in the world which treats not only the body but also the mind and the soul. The word Siddha has its origin in the Tamil word Siddhi which means ‘an object to be attained’ or ‘perfection’ or ‘heavenly bliss’”, according to the National Health Portal of India.
Homeopathy is a medical system based on the belief that the body can cure itself. Those who practice it use tiny amounts of natural substances, like plants and minerals to stimulate the healing process. It was developed in the late 1700s in Germany and was introduced in India in the early 19th century.
In 1973, the Government of India recognised homeopathy as one of the national systems of medicine and set up the Central Council of Homeopathy to regulate its education and practice.
After Narendra Modi came to power, the department of AYUSH which was earlier under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was upgraded to a full-fledged ministry on 9 November 2014. It aimed to step up education and research in Ayurveda, yoga, Unani, Siddha, and homeopathy and expand the reach of these medical systems to the public.
The WHO Centre now comes as a big boost to India’s traditional medicine therapies.
The WHO GCTM
On November 3, 2020, Dr Tedros announced the establishment of the WHO GCTM in India.
An agreement was signed between WHO and the Government of India to establish the traditional medicine centre that “aims to harness the potential of traditional medicine from across the world through modern science and technology to improve the health of people and the planet,” according to the United Nations health agency.
.@DrTedros, Director General, @WHO was welcomed by D Senthil Pandiyan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, in Delhi.
He will be joining Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi & Hon'ble PM of Mauritius, Shri Pravind Kumar Jugnauth for the groundbreaking ceremony of WHO-GCTM today. pic.twitter.com/aNNCTq736i
— Ministry of Ayush (@moayush) April 19, 2022
The GCTM shall focus on four main strategic areas: evidence and learning; data and analytics; sustainability and equity; and innovation and technology to optimise the contribution of traditional medicine to global health.
“Global Centre for Traditional Medicine represents WHO’s and India’s outstanding commitment to global health. Standing at the juncture of advanced technology and ancient wisdom, the only way ahead of us is upwards,” said Sarbananda Sonawal, Union Minister for AYUSH.
The Ministry of AYUSH will seek to set policies and standards on traditional medicine products and help countries create a comprehensive, safe, and high-quality health system, it said in a statement on Monday.
India’s investment in GCTM
India is the lead investor in the centre and has committed an estimated $250 million (Rs 1910 crore) to support the establishment, infrastructure, and operations. This includes 35 acres of land in Jamnagar for a new building and premises, an interim office, and support for the GCTM operational costs with a 10-year commitment, the WHO said.
The @WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine will be a hub of excellence to help promote use of evidence and learning and deliver safe, effective and evidence-based traditional medicines. pic.twitter.com/T2jB0X2dvT
— WHO South-East Asia (@WHOSEARO) April 19, 2022
WHO’s interest in traditional medicine
Around 80 per cent of the world’s population uses traditional medicine. The health agency says that 170 of the 194 WHO member states have reported the use of traditional medicine, and their governments have asked for WHO’s support in creating a body of data on traditional medicine practices and products.
The use of traditional medicine is becoming increasingly prominent across the world. Around 40 per cent of approved pharmaceutical products in use today derive from natural substances, highlighting the vital importance of conserving biodiversity and sustainability. “For example, the discovery of aspirin drew on traditional medicine formulations using the bark of the willow tree, the contraceptive pill was developed from the roots of wild yam plants and child cancer treatments have been based on the rosy periwinkle,” the WHO says.
There has been a rapid mordernisation in the ways traditional medicine is now being studied. Artificial intelligence is now used to map evidence and trends in traditional medicine… Functional magnetic resonance imaging is used to study brain activity and the relaxation response that is part of some traditional medicine therapies such as meditation and yoga, which are increasingly drawn on for mental health and wellbeing in stressful times, according to the health agency.
“For many millions of people around the world, traditional medicine is the first port of call to treat many diseases,” said Dr Tedros. “Ensuring all people have access to safe and effective treatment is an essential part of WHO’s mission, and this new centre will help to harness the power of science to strengthen the evidence base for traditional.”
With inputs from agencies
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