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WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) is a truly global project as 107 WHO member countries have their country–specific governmental offices, said Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) during the foundation laying ceremony on Tuesday and called the Indian initiative a game-changer move that can help generate evidence, data, sustainability and optimum use of traditional medicine across the world.
He addressed a summit titled ‘Global AYUSH Investment & Innovation Summit’ on the occasion of the foundation laying ceremony and said, “India’s philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ is the driving force behind the launch of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar. The GCTM centre is historic and will prove to be a game changer. The centre is designed to be an engine of innovation to drive the agenda of evidence, data and sustainability and optimisation of use of traditional medicine."
“There is a rising global demand and investment in the AYUSH products across the world. The whole world is coming to India and India is going to the whole world. Long-term investment in innovation ecosystem in health and development of traditional medicines by innovators, industry and government is needed," said Dr Tedros.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of GCTM, which will come up with $250 million support from the Indian government. The objective behind it is to build a foundation for evidences and policies to standardise traditional medical practices and products.
Reason behind the decision to set up GCTM in Jamnagar was because more than 50 years ago the world’s first Ayurvedic University was set up there, said the Indian PM and added, “The GCTM is a recognition of India’s contribution and potential in this field. India takes this partnership as a huge responsibility for serving the entire humanity.”
The use base of traditional medicines is 80 per cent of the world’s population that uses traditional medicines. It has been stated in some health reports that 170 countries of the 194 WHO members have reported the use of traditional medicines and have sought the international health body’s support to set up a body to generate evidences against each of the traditional medicines.
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