The World Health Organization (WHO) released the outcome document of the WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit 2023 in the form of the “Gujarat Declaration”.
- This reaffirs the global commitments towards indigenous knowledges, biodiversity and traditional, complementary and integrative medicine.
- The pariticipants of the summit endrosed the outcomes of the summit based on the research and evidence-informed discussions and initiatives presented in the Summit’s 5 plenaries and 6 parallel sessions.
Gujarat Declaration:
i.The meeting report sets out a strategic action agenda aimed at advancing universal health coverage and achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the integration of Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) and Indigenous knowledge.
ii.The report also explores the application of science, technology, innovation, and knowledge exchange in validating and unlocking the contribution of TCIM for the betterment of planetary health and people’s health and well-being across all stages of life.
iii.This will act as a catalyst to harness the potential of traditional medicine through the lens of science and will focus on the integration of traditional medicines in national health systems and help unlock the power of traditional medicine.
iv.This highlights the role of the multi-regional, multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder collaborations demonstrated at the Global Summit through the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) that is in line with and complements the work of WHO to maximise the benefits of TCIM in global health.
Points to note:
i.Support the evidence-based integration in national health policies and systems based on the highest quality research.
ii.Accelerate the production, regulation, and formal utilization of scientifically proven TCIM products and practices.
iii.Advance policies that promote standardized TCIM documentation
iv.Establish a global network of TCIM reference clinical centres that can routinely undertake standardized data collection and monitoring based on WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) coding of the implementation.
v.Recognize, respect and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples, as provided in the United Nation (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
WHO’s Traditional Medicine Global Summit:
WHO’s Traditional Medicine Global Summit “Towards Health and Well-being for All” co-hosted by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Government of India (GoI) and WHO was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, on 17-18 August 2023.
Objective:
To mobilise political commitment and evidence-based action on TCIM to achieve universal health coverage and well-being for people and the planet.
Note: The G20 Health Ministers’ meeting under the G20 India Presidency themed “One Earth. One Family. One Future” was held from 17th to 19th August 2023 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
About the Summit:
i.It was the first in the series of WHO global summits on traditional medicine, which will be held bi-annually in different WHO regions.
ii.The programme and agenda of the summit were organized around the core themes of evidence and learning, data and regulation, biodiversity, innovation, and digital health.
Highlights:
i.During this summit, several global commitments were reaffirmed, emphasising the importance of indigenous knowledge, biodiversity, and TCIM. It included the:
- Declaration of Alma-Ata of 1978;
- Convention on Biological Diversity 1992:
- UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007;
- UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
- Astana Declaration on Primary Health Care 2018;
- UN General Assembly (UNGA) political declaration on universal health coverage in 2019;
- World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM), and Indigenous People’s health and rights, among others.
ii.Based on the evidence, discussions and outcomes presented at the Summit, the participants agreed to support some action agenda and a few of them are:
- Health and well-being of people and the planet
- Global health leadership in traditional, complementary and integrative medicine
- Data, and routine information systems
- Biodiversity and sustainability.
About WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine(GCTM):
i.In March 2022 WHO, with the support of the GoI, established the WHO GCTM, in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in response to the increased global interest and demand.
ii.The Centre serves as a remarkable addition to the WHO’s existing capacity in traditional medicine and supplements.
ii.It collaborates with the 6 regional WHO Offices and Headquarters to provide support on governance, norms, and country-specific initiatives.
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About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director-General– Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Established on– 7 April 1948
