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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Kat Lay, Global health correspondent

‘A potential treasure trove’: World Health Organization to explore benefits of traditional medicines

Conference delegates stand with their arms stretched above their heads.
Participants at the WHO global Summit on traditional medicine take part in an exercise break during a plenary session. Photograph: CBAS Films/WHO

From herbalists in Africa gathering plants to use as poultices to acupuncturists in China using needles to cure migraines, or Indian yogis practising meditation, traditional remedies have increasingly being shown to work, and deserve more attention and research, according to a World Health Organization official.

A historical lack of evidence, which has seen traditional practices dismissed by many, could change with more investment and the use of modern technology, according to Dr Shyama Kuruvilla, who leads the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre.

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