WHO Chief India Visit: PM Modi, WHO chief launched the WHO Global Centre for traditional medicine.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several South Asian leaders along with WHO chief launched the WHO Global Centre for traditional medicine at Jamnagar in Gujarat. Beyond the camaraderie and pledges of cooperation in a post-Covid world, the WHO chief pitched Jamnagar and India as a global hub for traditional medicine.
Speaking in Gujarati, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus Director-General of the WHO said, "How are you? Are you fine? I am enjoying my trip to Gujarat!"
Talking about India's legacy in traditional medicine, Dr. Ghebreyesus said, "I have a special connection with India. I was taught by teachers from India in my high school years and later in university when I was studying biology. And infact I learnt about traditional medicine in India from an early age through those teachers from India. So, the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine is not a coincidence."
"The WHO Centre, the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine which we are launching will help to harness the power of science to strengthen the evidence base for traditional medicine," he added.
An investment of 250 million USD is going into the making of the centre in Jamnagar of which India will cover operational costs for the first ten years.
"WHO's Covid database has over 2500 citations of traditional medicine and traditional medicine publications are among the top 5 most downloaded on the WHO website. Today, traditional medicine faces challenges in the form of regulatory issues such as the lack of systematic data and evidence and insufficient financial support for research and not enough mechanisms to monitor the safety of traditional medicine practice. So, the contribution of traditional medicine to national health systems is not yet realised. This new Global Centre for Traditional Medicine will be a powerful vehicle for taking its journey forward. " Dr Ghebreyesus said.
Describing the impact of the project, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said, "This is a truly global project. 107 national governments have their offices for traditional medicine. This means India will go to the world and the world will come to India."
Dr. Ghebreyesus also recalled his memories of watching Hindi films. "By the way I also grew up watching Bollywood films and I understand that the Swiss Alps are a favourite destination for the Bollywood fans. And the first film which I saw which also affected me like my Indian teachers was Mother India, he said.