Gujarat will be Mecca of traditional medicine: WHO director general Ghebreyesus

World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros lauded the G20 Health Minister’s Meeting and said that the summit went off very well. He added, “I believe this is a very unique meeting, a summit on traditional medicine. And I believe that in a few years from now, Gujarat will be the Mecca of traditional medicine.” He also thanked the people of India and the Indian government for their hospitality and also for the excellent leadership of India.

“Many things have been actually discussed during this G20. Not only the strict G20 issues but we started from traditional medicine,” Tedros said. “We inaugurated the Center for Traditional Medicine. The Global WHO Center for Traditional Medicine last year with His Excellency, the Prime Minister. And following that we decided to have an annual summit for traditional medicine. And we had the summit a couple of days ago,” he added while speaking to the media. “And I would like to thank India for hosting the centre and for its commitment to regular summit which will be done hopefully every two years,” Tedros said.

Tedros highlights the two things discussed during the summit

“One is on the countermeasures. The COVID emergency has ended but still, COVID is around. But not only that, we have to prepare for the next one. And one of the challenges during COVID was the lack of equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics,” Tedros said. He further added that the G 20 countries have agreed under India’s presidency to address the access to medical countermeasures. “The second is the Digital Health initiative and WHO will coordinate the initiative and will be its secretariat. And this is to use digital technology, including AI, to achieve universal health coverage,” Tedros said mentioning the second highlight.

Tedros lauds the Ayushman Wellness Centre

Speaking on the Ayushman Wellness Centre, Tedros said, “I have witnessed here when we visited the Ayushman Baharat Wellness Center how telemedicine can be used to link the health post with a remote hospital and serve people.” “And we have also some presentations from some countries with good experience in digital technology. So that’s another initiative that which launched today that will benefit the whole world,” he added.

In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an inclusive, ambitious, and action-oriented G20 Presidency, the G20 Health Minister’s Meeting concluded on Saturday in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar with the adoption of an Outcome Document, as well as the launch of the Global Initiative of Digital Health.

The second day of the Health Minister’s Meeting saw sessions on India’s two G20 Health Priorities- Strengthening Cooperation in Pharmaceutical Sector with a focus on Availability & Access to Safe, Effective, Quality and Affordable Medical Countermeasures- Vaccine, Therapeutics & Diagnostics, and Digital Health Innovation & Solutions to aid Universal Health Coverage & Improve Healthcare Service Delivery.The last day of the G20 Health Minister’s Meeting also saw the 1st Joint Finance and Health Ministerial under the Indian Presidency.