|
![](images/white-rule.gif)
Diary Highlights
Call +44 (0) 1462 431385 to advertise
![](images/white-rule.gif)
|
|
|
![](images/noline.gif) |
![](images/header2.gif) |
|
|
![](images/white-rule.gif)
30 Aug 2023
World Health Organization recognises traditional medicine, with new global centre, high-level summit and strategy
After decades struggling for recognition, the worlds of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) have been validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the creation of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine and the convening of the first high-level global summit for the sector.
The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, which soft launched in 2022, is building a permanent headquarters in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India. The centre will be an ‘accessible, eco-friendly and interactive facility’ showcasing global traditions and modern scientific advances in traditional medicine.
As lead investor, the Indian government has committed US$250 million to support the centre’s establishment, infrastructure and operations. An opening date has not yet been set.
Held recently in Gujarat, India, the WHO Traditional Medicine Summit showcased TCIM’s role in driving progress in global health and sustainable development as well as exploring ways to scale scientific advances and mobilise political commitment and evidence-based action.
Speaking about the event, WHO director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “Traditional medicine can play a catalytic role in achieving universal health coverage.
“Bringing TCIM into the mainstream of healthcare, appropriately, effectively and above all, safely – based on the latest scientific evidence – can help bridge health access gaps for millions of people.”
Ghebreyesus said he believes traditional medicine can play an important role in meeting global health targets that were off-track, even before the disruption caused by the pandemic.
Delegates attended from 88 nations and included health ministers, scientists, TCIM practitioners and healthcare professionals.
Indigenous peoples were also present – including attendees from Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Guatemala and New Zealand – for whom TCIM plays a fundamental role, not only in healthcare, but also in their culture and in sustaining livelihoods.
The agenda The summit schedule saw scientists and specialists lead technical discussions on research, evidence and learning; policy, data and regulation; innovation and digital health; and biodiversity, equity and indigenous knowledge.
Early findings were also shared from the new WHO Global Survey on Traditional Medicine 2023 (third edition), which documents the status of TCIM globally.
The full survey will be released later this year and will inform the development of WHO’s new Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034.
The summit also highlighted the important role that AI can play in mining complex data available on TCIM and identifying practices that show promise for further scientific evaluation.
WHO said the event closed with a “Strong commitment from partners and stakeholders to harness the potential of evidence-based TCIM”.
The aim is to deploy TCIM to improve progress towards universal health coverage and meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, for the wellbeing of people and planet.
Action plan In closing the summit, Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said: “Together, we’ve shaken up the status quo that has long separated different approaches to medicine and health.
“By taking aim at these silos, we’re saying we’ll collaborate to find optimal ways of bringing TCIM under the umbrella of primary healthcare and universal health coverage.”
He added: “We’ve reiterated how crucial it is to get better evidence on the effectiveness, safety and quality of traditional and complementary medicine. That means introducing innovative methodologies for assessing and evaluating outcomes.”
The summit’s summary document includes commitments from participants on issues ranging from global policy, leadership, innovation and health workforce data to evidence, monitoring and regulation. It also covers legal frameworks, biodiversity and sustainable development.
Back to previous page
|
|
24 Jul 2024 Architizer celebrates outstanding global wellness architecture with A+Awards
Global online architecture platform Architizer has highlighted some of the world’s most
innovative spa and wellness architecture concepts as part of its 12th Annual Architizer
A+Awards.
23 Jul 2024 Gaga retreats celebrating joy of dance to kick off at Schloss Elmau in Germany
Bavarian destination spa and hotel Schloss Elmau is looking to celebrate the joy of dance by
becoming the first wellness destination in the world to offer retreats focused on the Gaga
intuitive movement practice.
02 Jul 2024 European College of Sports Science Annual Congress kicks off in Glasgow
The European College of Sports Science (ECSS) welcomes 3,000 academics to the University of the
West of Scotland in Glasgow from today (2 July) to Friday 5th July for its Annual Congress where
delegates and speakers will share and debate research and insight relating to sport and physical
activity.
24 Jun 2024 Good Spa Guide crowns UK’s best spas of 2024
The 15th annual Good Spa Guide (GSG) Awards winners were unveiled tonight (24 June) at a
gala dinner during the Spa Life Convention in Hampshire, UK.
|
![](images/noline.gif) |
21 Jun 2024 Global Wellness Summit 2024 to make waves in Scotland with theme “A Watershed Moment for Wellness”
The 2024 Global Wellness Summit (GWS) is set to make a splash in Scotland from 4-7
November, with the theme “A Watershed Moment for Wellness”.
13 Jun 2024 World leaders gather at luxury Italian wellness retreat Borgo Egnazia for G7 Summit
The 2024 G7 Summit is now underway at a destination spa resort in Puglia, Italy, with leaders
from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US convening to address some of
the world’s most urgent issues.
10 Jun 2024 Global Wellness Day 2024 shatters records as 1 billion people unite for wellness and nature
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 13th anniversary on Saturday, 8 June and was reportedly celebrated
by a record-breaking 1 billion people worldwide, making it the most successful year yet.
19 Apr 2024 Galgorm Resort gears up to host UK Aufguss Championships next week
UK sauna enthusiasts will converge at Galgorm Resort in Northern Ireland next week for the
highly anticipated second annual UK Aufguss Championships.
|
|
|
Back to previous page
| |
![](images/noline.gif) |
|
|
![](images/noline.gif) |
![](images/noline.gif) |