Dear colleagues and friends,
I thank you all for joining us today for this important discussion.
Traditional, complementary, and integrative health is rooted in the knowledge and resources of communities.
For millions of people around the world, it is their first stop for health and well-being, and an integral part of their health system.
It is for precisely these reasons that dialogues with civil society organizations are so important to WHO, as we shape our guidance and policy recommendations for countries.
WHO acknowledges the initiative of the over 300 organizations around the world who have come together to advocate for a person-centred and holistic approach to health.
And WHO appreciates civil society’s role as both advocates and as service providers of traditional, complementary and integrative health care.
WHO is now drafting a Traditional Medicine Strategy, at the request of our Member States, to support countries in developing policies to strengthen the safe and effective use of traditional medicine.
We look forward to working closely with civil society organizations in the development of the strategy.
WHO also recently established the Global Traditional Medicine Centre in India to scale up our capacities in this important area of work.
The centre focuses on developing evidence for policies and standards so that traditional medicine can be appropriately integrated into health systems and on collecting data to regulate quality and safety.
The centre’s work is also focused on supporting planetary health and equity through promoting biodiversity and sustainability and increasing access through digital health and innovation.
This is especially important in the context of traditional medicine’s role in the global herbal and wellness industries, which, while profitable, are often lacking evidence-based standards and regulation, or equitable policies for the sharing of benefits and sustainable development.
I also look forward to discussing with you how WHO and civil society can work together to prepare for the first Global Summit on Traditional Medicine being organized in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India in August 2023.
I thank you all once again for joining us for today’s discussion. WHO is committed to partnering with civil society organizations as we work together in our shared goal of Health for All.
I thank you.