In the framework of the launch of the new WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM), the World Health Organization (WHO) is organizing the First WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, which will take place on 17-18 August in Gandhinagar, India. The Summit, which will be held in parallel with the G20 meeting (chaired by the Government of India), will feature a two-day scientific program as well as a large exhibition hall. The event represents a unique opportunity for the exchange of experiences between regions and countries. The Summit will also contribute to the development of the new WHO strategy on Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCIM), which is due to be presented to the Organization’s Executive Board in January 2015.
For the past five years, the Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information of the Pan American Health Organization/WHO (BIREME/PAHO/WHO) has been managing the Virtual Health Library on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicines of the Americas (TCIM VHL), in coordination and collaboration with the TCIM Americas Network. Thus, the Summit will be an excellent opportunity to present the TCIM VHL as a good practice of the Region of the Americas in the thematic area, and to promote its information products and services that represent a valuable resource for the Region and the world.
Moreover, a cooperation project was established between BIREME and the Primary Health Care and Integrated Service Delivery Unit (PH) of the PAHO/WHO Department of Health Systems and Services (HSS) to: a) update the content and design of the TCIM VHL portal; b) generate new regional information products on TCIM that contribute to a better understanding of the current status of Indigenous/Afro-descendant Traditional Medicine in the Americas; and c) facilitate successful regional participation in the Summit.
The main expected outcomes include:
- The TCIM VHL Portal renewed and with updated content;
- The Window of Knowledge Indigenous and Afro-descendant Traditional Medicine of the Americas developed and published;
- The Window of Knowledge Ethnicity and Health updated;
- Data from the mapping of available information on Indigenous and Afro-descendant Traditional Medicine in the Americas, within the framework of the PAHO/WHO Strategy and Plan of Action on Ethnicity and Health 2019-2025, validated and available for access; and
- Mobilization of the TCIM Americas Network to update country content and participate in the World Summit.
BIREME is also developing a website dedicated to gathering and promoting all the products that will be disseminated at the Summit, including information about the participants from the Region and the agenda where they will be presenting and/or participating.
Events in context and BIREME’s participation
As a pre-Summit activity, the Global Workshop on Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge, Health, and Well-being, convened by WHO in collaboration with PAHO HQ and PAHO Brazil, is being carried out on 25-28 July in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the aim of providing a platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing and capacity building among stakeholders, especially Indigenous Peoples, as a contribution to the biodiversity focus of the Summit. The workshop will provide a unique opportunity for traditional health practitioners, policy makers and other community members from the Region of the Americas and other WHO regions to learn from each other and develop recommendations for policy and practice.
Verônica Abdala, Information Products and Services Manager at BIREME, will participate in the workshop to support the construction of the terms of reference for a collection of Good Practices related to Indigenous Traditional Medicine and maternal health, following the guidelines of this information source in coordination with the PAHO/WHO Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health (EIH).
At the Summit, which will take place on August 17-18, 2023, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, about 50 participants will represent the region of the Americas, including João Paulo Souza, Director of BIREME.
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