Around 100 countries have traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM)-related national policies and strategies, show the preliminary findings from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Survey on Traditional Medicine 2023
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The findings were shared at the recently concluded, first-ever World Health Organization (WHO) Traditional Medicine Global Summit 2023.
“In many WHO Member States, TCIM treatments are part of the essential medicine lists, essential health service packages, and are covered by national health insurance schemes. A large majority of people seek traditional, complementary and integrative medicine interventions for treatment, prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases, palliative care and rehabilitation,” the WHO said in a release.
Global partners committed to advance evidence-based traditional, complementary and integrative medicine, it said.
Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage, Life Course at WHO, highlighted the need for a “stronger evidence base — a WHO priority — to enable countries to develop appropriate regulations and policies around traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine”.
Artificial Intelligence
The summit also highlighted the important role that artificial intelligence can play to mine complex data available on traditional medicine and identify practices that show promise for further scientific evaluation.
Eventually, and with ethical and equity safeguards, this evidence can translate into policies that accelerate the safe and effective use of traditional medicine into health systems.
Health ministers from G-20 and other countries, scientists, practitioners of traditional medicine, health workers, and members of civil society from 88 countries participated in the summit that took place in Gandhinagar on August 17 and 18.
The summit provided a platform for all stakeholders to share their unique experiences, best practices and ideas for collaboration. It included a diverse group of Indigenous Peoples from different regions of the world, such as Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Guatemala and New Zealand, for whom many TCIM approaches play a fundamental role in not just healthcare, but also culture and livelihoods.
Shyama Kuruvilla, senior strategic adviser and lead for the WHO Traditional Medicine Global Centre, who also led the organisation at the summit, said, “We learnt much about the existing policies, tools and practices. But it is clear we have a long journey ahead in using science to further understand, develop and deliver the full potential of TCIM approaches to improve people’s health and well-being in harmony with the planet that sustains us.”
The new Global Initiative on Digital Health is one of the key deliverables of India’s G20 Presidency.
