GLOBAL CENTRE FOR TRADITIONAL MEDICINE (GCTM)- WHO & INDIA

The WHO GCTM has been established in Jamnagar under the Ministry of AYUSH. This would be the first and only global outposted Centre (office) for traditional medicine across the globe.

WHO GLOBAL TRADITIONAL MEDICINE STRATEGY 2019-23

GOALS

1. HARNESS THE POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION OF TM TO HEALTH, WELLNESS AND PEOPLE-CENTRED HEALTH CARE;

1. PROMOTE THE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE USE OF TM BY REGULATING, RESEARCHING AND INTEGRATING TM PRODUCTS, PRACTITIONERS AND PRACTICE INTO HEALTH SYSTEMS, WHERE APPROPRIATE.

OBJECTIVES

1. BUILD THE KNOWLEDGE BASE THAT WILL ALLOW T&CM TO BE MANAGED ACTIVELY THROUGH APPROPRIATE NATIONAL POLICIES THAT UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE THE ROLE AND POTENTIAL OF T&CM.
2. STRENGTHEN THE QUALITY ASSURANCE, SAFETY, PROPER USE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF T&CM BY REGULATING PRODUCTS, PRACTICES AND PRACTITIONERS THROUGH T&CM EDUCATION AND TRAINING, SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, SERVICES AND THERAPIES
3. PROMOTE UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE BY INTEGRATING T&CM SERVICES IN HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY AND SELF-HEALTH CARE BY CAPITALIZING ON THEIR POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO IMPROVE HEALTH SERVICES AND HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND BY ENSURING USERS ARE ABLE TO MAKE INFORMED CHOICES ABOUT SELF-HEALTH CARE.

DEFINITIONS

TRADITIONAL MEDICINE:

IT HAS A LONG HISTORY AND IS THE SUM TOTAL OF THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, AND PRACTICES INDIGENOUS TO DIFFERENT CULTURES USED IN THE MAINTENANCE OF HEALTH AS WELL AS IN THE PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS, IMPROVEMENT OR TREATMENT OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ILLNESS.

COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE:

IT REFERS TO A BROAD SET OF HEALTH CARE PRACTICES THAT ARE NOT PART OF THAT COUNTRY’S OWN TRADITION OR CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE AND ARE NOT FULLY INTEGRATED INTO THE DOMINANT HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM.

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE:

WHO IS CURRENTLY CONVENING A MEMBER STATE CONSULTATION ON THIS.

ANCIENT WISDOM AND MODERN SCIENCE:

WHILE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IS OFTEN CONSIDERED AS LONG- ESTABLISHED CULTURAL PRACTICE, IT IS ALSO EXPANDING THE FRONTIERS OF MODERN SCIENCE.

- FOR EXAMPLE, THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO SCREEN THOUSANDS OF COMPOUNDS FOR PHARMACOKINETIC PROPERTIES. FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (FMRI) IS USED TO STUDY BRAIN ACTIVITY AND THE RELAXATION RESPONSE THAT IS PART OF SOME TRADITIONAL MEDICINE THERAPIES.

JOINT TASK FORCE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS CENTRE

- COORDINATION
- EXECUTION
- MONITORING OF ACTIVITIES
- REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA,
- PERMANENT MISSION OF INDIA, GENEVA &
- THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.

INTERIM OFFICE

- ITRA, JAMNAGAR, GUJARAT
- TO EXECUTE THE IDENTIFIED TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES AND PLANNING OF FULLY FUNCTIONAL WHO GCTM.

BENEFITS OF GCTM

GOAL OF GCTM

•PROVIDE LEADERSHIP ON ALL GLOBAL HEALTH MATTERS RELATED TO TRADITIONAL MEDICINE.

EXTEND SUPPORT TO MEMBER COUNTRIES IN SHAPING VARIOUS POLICIES RELATED TO TRADITIONAL MEDICINE RESEARCH, PRACTICES AND PUBLIC HEALTH.

TECHNICAL WORK IN PROGRESS:

- EVIDENCE AND LEARNING
  E.G. EVIDENCE SYNTHESES AND REVIEWS WITH WHO SCIENCE DIVISION, COCHRANE COLLABORATION, LANCET CITIZENS’ COMMISSION ETC. LINKS WITH WHO ACADEMY ON TM COURSES.

- DATA AND ANALYTICS
  E.G. UPDATING GLOBAL SURVEYS ON TRADITIONAL MEDICINE – ON TM POLICIES, EDUCATION, AND PRACTICE AND OR INCLUSION IN WHO WORLD HEALTH SURVEY+ HOUSEHOLD SURVEY.

- SUSTAINABILITY AND EQUITY
  E.G. COUNTRY PROFILES FOR ALL WHO MS, SUPPORTED BY REGIONS, THAT HIGHLIGHT BIODIVERSITY, SOCIAL- CULTURAL HERITAGES, SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES AND EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY CONSIDERATIONS.

- INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
  E.G. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) MAPPING OF TM TRENDS, INNOVATIONS, PATENTS; DEVELOPING AND UPDATING APPS WHO’S M-YOGA APP, LINKING TO WHO INNOVATION HUB ETC.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

https://main.ayush.gov.in/who-gctm/