Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of the World Health Organization (WHO), on Monday made reference to the Global Traditional Medicine Centre that was founded in India and the first ever global traditional medicines conference hosted by India as he pointed out that the year 2023 was a productive year for the United Nations health agency in supporting access to medicines and other health products.
“We also put up in India Global Traditional Medicine Centre and held there firstly an international summit on traditional medicine.” Ghebreyesus said while presenting his report at the 77th session of World Health Assembly in Geneva.
In March 2022, an agreement between Government of India and UN health agency saw establishment of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine.
This was revealed by a press statement from WHO where it stated that this is a global knowledge centre for traditional medicine has been set up with support from $250 million allegedly invested by Indian government occurs under modern science and technology which aims to exploit values of traditional from world over towards better health of people and planet.
“This noteworthy effort means that it will be located in Gujarat’s Jamnagar as a result of an MoU signed between Ministry of Ayush and WHO,” remarked Prime Minister Narendra Modi during its ground-breaking ceremony in April 2022.The highlight of his speech was when he pointed out “traditional medicine does not focus only curing illness; rather it represents holistic approach to life. This partnership is seen by this country as our major obligation towards all humanity.”
The Jamnagar based foundation stone laying ceremony for the WHO-GCTM took place in April, 2022.
Modi who spoke then said that WHO-GCTM acknowledges what India has done so far in this field. “Traditionally, Indian system treats not just diseases alone; it is science about entire existence. For us being part of these efforts is really great commitment for mankind.”
In August last year, WHO convened a Traditional Medicine Global Summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The summit was co-hosted by India, which held the G20 presidency in 2023. It was held alongside the G20 Health Ministerial meeting.
The summit explored how traditional, complementary and integrative medicine can be used to address pressing health challenges and drive progress in global health and sustainable development.
Ghebreyesus had come to Gujarat for the global summit on traditional medicine where he received a warm welcome.
According to him, India has a rich history of traditional medicine through Ayurveda including yoga that has been effective in pain relief. In his statement as he presented the WHO Chief said “This document will address issues of integration of this system of medicines into national health systems; we will also look at science based ways of unlocking potential of traditional medicine” regarding the Gujarat Declaration.
Ghebreyesus told the World Health Assembly Monday that many challenges were faced by them during 2023 but there were also many achievements made. He said 2023 was productive year for WHO’s work on access to medicines and other health products.
“Last year we qualified 120 products – medicines, vaccines, diagnostics – for HIV, malaria, multidrug-resistant TB; first-ever long acting insulin analogues while For Covid-19,” he said.
He added that one of the most significant impacts occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic was disruption of routine immunization programs leading to reduced coverage rates and outbreaks of such diseases as measles, diphtheria polio yellow fever among others all over again.
‘Last year in April, we launched ‘The Big Catch Up’ with UNICEF and Gavi to help countries close outbreaks and restore immunization programs so that they reach the level before Covid-19,’ he said.
The WHO’s boss had in May last year announced the end of Covid-19 pandemic as well as mpox. “We continue to call on all countries to maintain and reinforce the capacities for surveillance, detection and response that they built during the pandemic. These investments must not go to waste.”