SEA/RC67/11 - Traditional medicine: Delhi Declaration

Abstract

Traditional medicine (‎TRM)‎ is an important, and often underestimated, part of health care. Almost every country in the world has its own form of traditional medicine and demand globally for it is increasing. WHO has launched its new Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023, which aims to harness the potential contribution of traditional medicine to health, wellness, people-centred health care and universal health coverage. The Strategy also aims to promote best practices in the use of safe and good-quality traditional medicine through the regulation, research and integration of traditional medicine products, practices and practitioners into the health system, as appropriate. In 2013, the health ministers of the Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region signed the Delhi Declaration. Therein, all Member States agreed to cooperate, collaborate and provide mutual support to each other in all fields of traditional medicine in accordance with their national situation, priorities and legislation and circumstances. WHO has supported best practices in the use of safe and good-quality traditional medicine in Member States of the South-East Asia Region through facilitation of information exchange, development of policy and guidelines for the use of traditional medicine in primary care, and convening expert discussions on the appropriate integration of traditional medicine into health systems. WHO will continue to support Member States in information exchange and the development of policy and regulations for traditional medicine products, practitioners and practices, as well as the appropriate integration of traditional medicine into health systems. Given the current low levels of available financial and human resource, WHO support may be very limited. It is recommended that resources be substantially increased to enable effective support to Member States. The High-Level Preparatory (‎HLP)‎ Meeting held in the Regional Office in New Delhi, India, from 14 to 17 July 2014 reviewed the attached working paper and made the following recommendations: Actions by Member States (‎1)‎ Member States should evaluate and report on the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Traditional Medicine 2014–2023, and report on progress at 5-year and 10-year intervals. (‎2)‎ Obstacles to the integration of traditional medicine in conventional health systems should be identified. (‎3)‎ Quality assurance of traditional medicine products manufacture should be improved. (‎4)‎ Regulations for improved quality assurance of traditional medicine services should be enacted. Actions by the WHO Regional Office (‎1)‎ The Regional Office should evaluate and report on the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Traditional Medicine 2014–2023, and report on progress at 5-year and 10-year intervals. (‎2)‎ The revised HerbalNet should be continually updated for information exchange. (‎3)‎ Development of research methodology to evaluate quality of care and integration of traditional medicine into conventional health systems should be facilitated. (‎4)‎ The country information section of the Secretariat’s working paper for the Regional Committee should be updated. The revised and updated working paper and recommendations of the HLP Meeting are submitted to the Sixty-seventh Session of the Regional Committee for consideration.