Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with World Health Organization head Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, officially launched the first-of-its-kind WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Gujarat’s Jamnagar on Tuesday
The move is expected to boost lesser-known alternative medicinal practices on a global scale such as African traditional medicine, Arab and Islamic medicines, and Chinese healing practices.
MAKEOVER
Often targeted by experts of modern medicine as “pseudoscientific” practices, the alternative medicines and therapies are getting ready for a makeover under which WHO will promote the safe and effective use of traditional medicines by regulating, researching, and integrating the products, practitioners, and practices into health systems, where appropriate.
Prompted by the outbreak of Covid-19, the UN health agency has decided to separately focus on the growth of traditional and ancient medicinal practices followed across cultures and religions.
As per the WHO’s estimates, around 80% of the world’s population uses traditional medicines. Until now, 170 WHO member states have reported the use of traditional medicines, and their top priority request to the agency is for “evidence, data, standards and regulatory frameworks”.
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