FFrom herbalists in Africa who collect plants to use as poultices, to acupuncturists in China who use needles to treat migraines, or Indian yogis who practice meditation, traditional treatments are proving increasingly effective and deserve more attention and research, according to a World Health Organization official.
The historical lack of evidence, which has led many to reject traditional practices, could change with more investment and use of modern technology, according to Dr. Shyama Kuruvilla, who leads the World Health Organization’s Global Center for Traditional Medicine.
Earlier this year, countries agreed that the WHO should adopt it A new global strategy for traditional medicines For the next decade “seeks to harness the potential contribution of TCIM [traditional, complementary and integrative medicine] Evidence-based health and wellness.
It includes plans to create a robust evidence base for traditional medicine practices, develop the organization of treatments and practitioners, and integrate practices into mainstream biomedical health care, where appropriate.
“It’s very exciting,” says Kuruvilla. “I’m not saying we know what works and what doesn’t work at scale — but I think there is that opportunity [to find out] now.”
Traditional medicine, defined as systems of health and well-being that predate “biomedicine,” comes in many forms ranging from herbal teas to the ancient Indian system of medicine (Ayurveda).
Many of these centuries-old practices have “huge potential,” Kuruvilla says, and can now be explored in new ways through technologies including artificial intelligence, genomics, and brain scanning.
Thailand is a good example of a country embracing traditional medicine, Kuruvilla says, with researchers monitoring and documenting traditional practices, and conducting randomized trials to include herbal remedies on the country’s list of essential medicines. In May, the Thai Ministry of Health recommended doctors Switching from some biologic medications to traditional treatments For certain conditions including muscle pain and constipation.
There have been some concerns that the WHO’s strategy could create a back door for unscientific systems like homeopathy to enter the mainstream, but Kuruvilla points out that homeopathy does not fit the WHO’s definition of traditional medicine—it was only created in the late 18th century—and that there is not strong enough evidence for the practice.
But, she says, “With all of these things — with biomedicine, homeopathy, conventional medicine — if the evidence changes, I think it’s our responsibility to be open about that.”
In some countries, homeopathy is used as complementary medicine “and that is up to the countries,” Kuruvilla says. “We, as WHO, have to stick to the evidence alone.
“So I think that’s our bottom line: Is this supported by strong, reliable evidence, especially in terms of safety and effectiveness? And if not, the WHO doesn’t support it, whether it’s biomedicine or conventional medicine.”
from Surveys It notes that in most countries the majority of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine services are not part of the formal health system and are paid for by patients. They are unlikely to undergo formal quality checks but are very popular.
“Not participating was not an option, because that would mean everything would continue without any guarantees,” Kuruvilla says, referring to the booming trillion-dollar wellness industry that ranges from yoga studios to “nutraceuticals.”
Kuruvilla says the new methods allow scientists to study traditional medicine “in a way that was not possible before.” Genomics may lead to a new understanding of plant properties, while modern scanning equipment could pick up changes in the brains of people who meditate.
“Meditation used to be ‘cool stuff,’ but now, seeing all these advances in neuroscience and showing changes in brain waves from fMRI, which we couldn’t do before — actually being able to track the pathways that lead to changes in health measures — I think that’s really exciting,” she says.
A new WHO Strategic Technical Advisory Group on Traditional Medicine was launched this week at a global summit in India. “This is a pivotal moment for traditional medicine,” said Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health System, Access and Data, in her address at the summit. “It embodies cultural heritage and national health identities, and is increasingly a vital component of primary health care strategies.”
The idea, Kuruvilla suggests, is to “build a bridge” between conventional medicine and biomedicine. She says it’s important to “find commonalities.” “Showing that science can be powerful is really important, especially around patient safety.”
Traditional medicine has the potential to become a “treasure trove,” says Kuruvilla. She says the huge numbers of people working in the field – including university-educated professionals certified to work in clinics in China and India – could alleviate global workforce shortages and make a “significant contribution” to universal health coverage.
In the context of aid cuts that are forcing countries to rethink health care provision, traditional medicine “could also be a way for countries to become more self-reliant and then share those resources with each other.”
She says the risk of failing to invest is leaving people unable to access their preferred type of healthcare in a safe way and “the world being unable to use our shared heritage here in a way that allows us to find new comprehensive solutions for the health and wellbeing of people and the planet”.