- Padmashree Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha ji, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush;
- Bruce Aylward, WHO Assistant Director-General Universal Health Coverage and Life Course,
- Shyama Kuruvilla, Director ad interim, WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, Jamnagar,
- Participants from WHO regional offices,
- HQ TCI unit and technical divisions,
- Invited distinguished experts, physicians, academics, scientists, regulators, and traditional medicine practitioners
Greetings, Good Morning, and a very warm welcome to India from all of us at the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office.
I am pleased that the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre has gathered us all here for this Global Technical Coordination Meeting, and I am very pleased to be addressing you today.
It is a matter of public record that I am a strong believer in the importance of exploring local solutions for local problems.
We know that our South-Asia Region is home to a quarter of the people on the planet. Our Region represents a rich and diverse tapestry of cultures & languages, resources & economies, infrastructure, demographics & geographies.
It is evident that in circumstances of such diversity, ‘top-down’ ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions don’t work best. Far better is a ground-up approach, informed by a local perspective for local realities.
With this in mind, we recognize that for centuries, traditional, indigenous, and ancestral knowledge has been used in the management of the health of communities across many different regions.
And therefore, we recognize traditional medicine as the sum of health-related knowledge, skills, and practices, which are based on indigenous theories, beliefs, and experiences.
At the inaugural WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit last year, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros said that “Bringing traditional medicine into the mainstream of health care can help bridge access gaps for millions of people around the world.”
He reminded us that this should be done “appropriately, effectively, and above all, safely based on the latest scientific evidence.”
Today, almost all countries in our South-East Asia Region have developed and implemented a national policy for traditional medicine.
Nine countries have established formal training and education systems for traditional medicine practitioners.
Six countries have co-located traditional medicine services within their health systems, usually as part of their primary health care approach.
Five countries have national essential medicine policies on traditional medicine, and five countries provide financial protection for traditional medicine services.
We look forward to continuing this agenda, in alignment with our Region-wide push to reorient health systems towards quality, accessible, affordable, and comprehensive primary health care.
It is wonderful to witness the great progress of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC), launched almost two years ago on 21 April 2022.
The GTMC is a testament to the vision and leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and our DG, Dr Tedros.
The GTMC has already successfully conducted the first “WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine” last year and is now rolling out this high-impact Global technical coordination meeting to take forward the action agenda as a global collaborative effort.
As the South-East Asia Region, we look forward to contributing to the outcomes of this meeting.
We anticipate this GTMC meeting will provide guidance on implementing the earlier Summit’s Gujarat Declaration with work-streams of Traditional Medicine in Research and Evidence.
Other outcomes we look forward to, are guidance on ICD-11 based data for PHC and UHC, Indigenous Knowledge and Biodiversity, and Digital Health Applications.
Last, but certainly not least, we all eagerly await the all-important development of an ‘evidence-based global traditional medicine knowledge bank’ that world leaders have called for.
I have spoken publicly, at other times, about my vision for the South-East Asia Region.
My vision is a Region of people and communities who take a holistic approach to health and well-being, and who are physically and mentally empowered to achieve their full potential.
I want to work towards fairer, people-centred health systems, and towards a biodiverse planet. I would like to see a healthier, more equitable and sustainable future for all.
I trust that the work you do at this meeting will help move us all towards these goals.
I thank you.