India lays foundation stone of Global Centre for Traditional Medicine

The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi recently laid the foundation stone of World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat in the presence of the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO. GCTM will be the first and only global outpost centre for traditional medicine across the world. It will emerge as an international hub of global wellness. According to WHO, the centre will focus on data, innovation and sustainability and will optimise the use of traditional medicine. The centre’s five main areas will be research and leadership, evidence and learning, data and analytics, sustainability and equity and innovation and technology. The first objective is to create a database of traditional knowledge systems using technology; second, GCTM can create international standards for testing and certification of traditional medicines so that confidence in these medicines improves. Third, it should evolve as a platform where global experts of traditional medicines come together and share experiences. Fourth, GCTM should mobilise funding for research in the field of traditional medicines.