WHO To Set Up Global Centre For Traditional Medicine In India

New Delhi: The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Friday that it will set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing confidence that the proposed institute will become the centre for global wellness.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement in a video message at an event in which the PM Modi inaugurated two future-ready Ayurveda institutions in Jaipur and Jamnagar on the occasion of the 5th Ayurveda Day, news agency PTI reported.

The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar (Gujarat) and the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur (Rajasthan) are both premier institutions of Ayurveda in the country.

“I am pleased to announce that we have agreed to open a WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India to strengthen the evidence, research, training and awareness of traditional and complementary medicine,” the WHO DG said.

“This new centre will support WHO’s efforts to implement the WHO traditional medicine strategy 2014-2023 which aims to support countries in developing policies and action plans to strengthen the role of traditional medicine as part of their journey to universal health coverage and a healthier, fairer and safer world,” Ghebreyesus  added.

PM Modi said Ayurveda is India’s heritage whose expansion entails the welfare of humanity and all Indians will be happy to see that the country’s traditional knowledge is making other countries prosperous.

“It is a matter of pride for all Indians that the WHO has chosen India for establishing its Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. Now work will be done in this direction from India,” the PM said.

“I am confident that just like India has emerged as the pharmacy of the world, in the same manner, this centre for traditional medicine will become the centre for global wellness,” he added.