The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the establishment of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (WHO GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat by signing a Host Country Agreement between the Government of India and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO GCTM will be established in Jamnagar under the Ministry of AYUSH. This would be the first and only global out posted Centre (office) for traditional medicine across the globe.
WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine Objectives
The WHO GCTM would provide leadership on all global health matters related to traditional medicine as well as extend support to member countries in shaping various policies related to traditional medicine research, practices, and public health. In particular, it will aim to-
- Position AYUSH systems across the globe
- Provide leadership on global health matters pertaining to traditional medicine.
- Ensure quality, safety and efficacy, accessibility and rational use of traditional medicine.
- Develop norms, standards, and guidelines in relevant technical areas, tools and methodologies, for collecting data undertaking analytics, and assess impact. Envisage WHO TM Informatics centre creating a collaborative of existing TM Data banks, virtual libraries, and academic and research institutes.
- Develop specific capacity building and training programmes in the areas of relevance to the objectives and conduct training programmes in campus, residential, or web-based, and through partnerships with the WHO Academy and other strategic partners.
WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine History
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghbereyesus, Director General, World Health Organization announced the establishment of WHO GCTM in India on the occasion of 5th Ayurveda Day on 13th November 2020 in the august presence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
The Hon’ble Prime Minister praised this initiative of WHO and mentioned that WHO GCTM would emerge as a center of global wellness, bolster evidence-based research, training, and awareness for Traditional Medicine.
A Joint Task Force (JTF) is constituted for coordination, execution, and monitoring of activities for the establishment of this Centre. JTF comprises representatives from the Government of India, Permanent Mission of India, Geneva, and the World Health Organization.
Under the ambit of this, an interim office is being established at the ITRA, Jamnagar, Gujarat to execute the identified technical activities and planning of fully functional WHO GCTM.
The interim office is intended to deliver broadly on the generation of evidence and innovation, artificial intelligence-based solutions for traditional medicine, systematic reviews in collaboration with Cochrane, a Global survey on traditional medicine data across WHO GPW 13 (Thirteenth General Programme of Work 2019-2023), and sustainable development goals, traditional medicine socio-cultural and biodiversity heritage with a forward-looking approach to sustainable development and management and cross-cutting functions, business operations and administrative processes for the establishment of the main office of WHO GCTM.
Importance of Traditional Medicines
Traditional medicine is a key pillar of health care delivery systems and plays a crucial role in maintaining good health and well-being.
Safe and effective traditional medicine will play a significant role in ensuring all people have access to quality essential health care services and safe, effective, and affordable essential medicines as the world approaches the ten-year milestone for Sustainable Development Goals in 2030.
The WHO-GCTM will identify various challenges faced by the countries in regulating, integrating, and further positioning Traditional Medicine in respective countries.
The upcoming WHO-GCTM and various other initiatives in collaboration with WHO will aid India in positioning traditional medicine across the globe.