New Delhi: The Ayush Ministry and the World Health Organization have signed a donor agreement under which the Indian government will donate USD 85 million over a period of 10 years (2022-2032) to support the operations of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
The donor agreement was signed during a ceremony organized at WHO Headquarters in Geneva on July 31, the Ayush ministry said in a statement.
This agreement, which outlines the financial terms for implementing the activities of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat, was signed by Arindam Bagchi, Permanent Representative of India to the UN, Geneva and Dr Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage and Life Course on behalf of Ministry of Ayush and WHO respectively.
Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of Ayush, joined the event virtually.
“Through this collaboration, the Government of the Republic of India will donate US$ 85 million over a period of 10 years (2022-2032) to support the operations of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India,” the statement said.
The donor agreement recognizes the establishment of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre as a key knowledge hub for evidence-based Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) aiming to advance the health and well-being of people and the planet, the statement said.
With the approval of the Union Cabinet, a Host Country Agreement was signed on March 25, 2022, between the Ministry of Ayush, the Government of India and WHO, marking the establishment of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, as the first and only global out-posted Centre (office) for traditional medicine across the globe, it stated.
The interim office of the WHO-GTMC is already operational, working on developing capacity-building and training programs relevant to its objectives. These programs will include campus-based, residential or web-based training in partnership with the WHO Academy and other strategic partners, the statement said.
The Ministry of Ayush has collaborated with WHO on various fronts, including the development of benchmark documents for training and practice in Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha systems, the creation of WHO terminology for these practices, the introduction of a second module in the Traditional Medicine Chapter of the International Classification of Diseases-11, the development of apps like M-Yoga and support for the International Pharmacopoeia of Herbal Medicine (IPHM). These collaborative efforts, including those involving the WHO GTMC, will help India in positioning traditional medicine on the global stage.
“The joint efforts of the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India and WHO will not only benefit India but also contribute to the global health agenda, reinforcing our commitment to achieving the sustainable development goals through traditional medicine,” the statement said.
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