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Inaugural WHO summit on Traditional Medicine held in Gujarat
The summit was attended by delegates from 75 nations
WHO's first ever global summit on traditional medicine / Image-X/@moayush
The World Health Organization (WHO) held the first-ever global summit on traditional medicine in Gujarat, India on August 17-18, 2023. The Ministry of Ayush, Government of India co-hosted the summit, which explored the role of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine in addressing pressing health challenges and driving progress in global health and sustainable development.
Technical discussions on research, evidence and learning; policy, data, and regulation; innovation and digital health; and biodiversity, equity and indigenous knowledge took place at the summit that was attended by delegates from 75 nations.
Speaking at the inauguration, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said, “One of the great strengths of traditional medicine is the understanding of the intimate links between the health of humans and our environment. That’s why WHO is committed to supporting countries to unlock the potential of traditional medicine, through the Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar.”
Stressing that traditional medicine was “as old as humanity itself”, the WHO chief urged countries to examine how best to incorporate traditional and complementary medicine into their health systems through the Gujarat Declaration, the outcome document of the summit, which was adopted at the summit's conclusion.
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, in his address, highlighted the role of the Global centre of traditional medicine in Gujarat in leading the way towards a more prominent role of traditional medicine in mainstream healthcare.
“The pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries are both showing significant interest in traditional medicine and more than 170 countries around the world are utilizing it,” he said adding that the summit provides an ideal platform for international collaboration and the exchange of ideas to promote best practices in the sector.
An experiential Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) Exhibition Zone was the highlight of the summit. It featured an exhibition of traditional medicine systems from WHO’s six regions. The theme of the exhibition was ‘Ayush for Planetary Health and Well-being’. The Zone welcomed visitors with a display of medicinal plants including those used in Ayurveda.
The exhibition also had interactive kiosks, which allowed visitors to access comprehensive information about Ayush, including the location of all Ayush hospitals and a digital library with research papers related to the field. A virtual reality experience of Ayush Healthcare services was available, where visitors could engage in an immersive experience, featuring an AI-based Ayurveda Pulse diagnosis, body constitution analysis, and even a live Yoga demonstration.
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