The World Health Organization (WHO) has inaugurated its first Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, located in India’s Gujarat state. This initiative marks a significant milestone in the integration of traditional healing practices with evidence-based healthcare research, training, and awareness on a global scale. Established in collaboration with India’s Ministry of Ayush under a formal Project Collaboration Agreement, the centre is designed to serve as an international hub for knowledge on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM).
It is the first global outposted facility of its kind dedicated solely to traditional medicine. The Ministry of Ayush, whose acronym stands for Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, and Sowa-Rigpa, stated that the Jamnagar facility will lead in the development of a comprehensive knowledge base. This includes data-driven analytics and impact assessments to be managed through the WHO’s Traditional Medicine Informatics Centre, incorporating virtual libraries, databanks, and affiliated research institutions. In addition to the Jamnagar centre, two more wellness and research facilities are planned in New Delhi and Hyderabad.
All three will be funded under a donor agreement signed in 2024 between the Ministry of Ayush and the WHO. These centres aim to promote rigorous scientific inquiry into traditional medicine practices and their applications in modern healthcare systems. According to the Ministry, the Jamnagar centre will play a strategic role in standardizing methodologies, facilitating global research collaborations, and ensuring quality control and regulation of traditional medicine. It will also support training programmes for health professionals, offering structured curricula and evidence-based resources.
WHO’s investment in these facilities reflects a growing international recognition of the role traditional medicine can play in achieving universal health coverage and holistic wellness. The centres are expected to bridge knowledge gaps and create policy frameworks that support safe and effective integration of traditional medicine into public health systems. The Jamnagar centre is now operational and will begin coordinating with international academic institutions, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations to establish a unified platform for traditional medicine research and policy development. – By MENA Newswire News Desk.