WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine (GCTM)
Recently, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of ‘WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine’ (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
The Global Center for Traditional Medicine is being set up by the Ministry of AYUSH and the World Health Organization (WHO). It will be the world’s first and only global center for traditional medicine.
It is being established to harness the potential of Traditional Medicine (TM) from around the world through modern science and technology.
The center will help implement the WHO’s Traditional Medicine Strategy (2014-23). The strategy aims to strengthen the role of traditional medicine in achieving the goal of universal health coverage.
The GCTM has the following five goals:
- Creating a database of traditional knowledge systems using technology;
- Creating international standards for the testing and certification of traditional medicine;
- Developing a platform where traditional medicine experts from all over the world come together and share their experiences
- Raising funds for research in traditional medicine; And
- Developing protocols for holistic treatment of specific diseases to benefit patients from both traditional and modern systems of medicine.
Importance of GCTM
- Its aim is to improve the overall health of communities around the world.
- It will help in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3) of ensuring healthy living and promoting wellness for people of all ages.
- It will promote collaboration and coordination between traditional medicine and modern allopathic medicine.
- It will recognize India’s ability to take the lead in traditional medicine.
- It will establish AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) systems across the world.
Traditional Medicine:
Traditional medicine (TM) is defined as “the sum total of knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures that are used to maintain health, as well as to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical and mental illnesses”
Source – The Hindu
