WHO & Traditional Medicine

WHO & Traditional Medicine

Subject: Science & Tech

Context- PM Modi, along with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, will perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the first-of-its-kind WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

Concept-

What will the GCTM be about?

• The WHO GCTM is to be established under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy).
• The WHO GCTM will be the first global centre for traditional medicine.
• The GCTM will aim to focus on evidence-based research, innovation, and data analysis to optimise the contribution of traditional medicine to global health.
• Its main focus will to develop norms, standards and guidelines in technical areas relating to traditional medicine.
• It will seek to set policies and standards on traditional medicine products and help countries create a comprehensive, safe, and high-quality health system.
• The GCTM will support efforts to implement the WHO’s Traditional Medicine Strategy (2014-23).
• It will serve as the hub, and focus on building a “solid evidence base” for policies and “help countries integrate it as appropriate into their health systems”.

What is Traditional Medicine?

• The WHO describes traditional medicine as the total sum of the “knowledge, skills and practices indigenous and different cultures have used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness”.
• Its reach encompasses ancient practices such as acupuncture, ayurvedic medicine and herbal mixtures as well as modern medicines.
• According to WHO estimates, 80% of the world’s population uses traditional medicine.

Traditional medicine in India:

• It is often defined as including practices and therapies — such as Yoga, Ayurveda, Siddha — that have been part of Indian tradition historically, as well as others — such as homeopathy — that became part of Indian tradition over the years.
• Ayurveda and yoga are practised widely across the country.
• The Siddha system is followed predominantly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• The Sowa-Rigpa System is practised mainly in Leh-Ladakh and Himalayan regions such as Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, Lahaul&Spiti.