Encouraging research and development in traditional medicine
11 of traditional medicine based on research and innovation in line with the GSPA-PHI was explicitly
indicated as one of the six articles, namely: 1. Knowledge of traditional medicine, treatments and practices should be respected,
preserved, promoted and communicated widely and appropriately based on the circumstances in each country.
2. Governments have a responsibility for the health of their people and should formulate national policies, regulations and standards, as part of comprehensive national health
systems to ensure appropriate, safe and effective use of traditional medicine.
3. Recognizing the progress of many governments to date in integrating traditional medicine into their national health systems, those who have not yet done so are called to take
action. 4. Traditional medicine should be further developed based on research and innovation in line
with the Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property adopted at the Sixty-first World Health Assembly in resolution WHA61.21 in
2008. Governments, international organizations and other stakeholders should collaborate in implementing GSPA-PHI.
5. Governments should establish systems for the qualification, accreditation or licensing of traditional medicine practitioners. Traditional medicine practitioners should upgrade their
knowledge and skills based on national requirements.
6. The communication between conventional and traditional medicine providers should be strengthened and appropriate training programmes be established for health professionals,
medical students and relevant researchers. During the Sixty-Second World Health Assembly held on May 2009, the resolution on traditional
medicine WHA62.13 was presented which urged the adoption and implementation of the Beijing Declaration on Traditional Medicine by Member States in accordance with their capacities,
priorities, relevant legislation and circumstances. In the same document, the Director General was requested to give due consideration to specific actions related to traditional medicine in the
implementation of the GSPA-PHI.
41
Encouraging RD in traditional medicine emphasized upon in the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023..
42
Among the strategic actions recommended for Member States are to: a. Promote RD, innovation and knowledge management;
b. Encourage knowledge generation, translation and dissemination by establishing a comprehensive and inclusive approach to RD on traditional and complementary
medicine TCM including quality and cost effectiveness; and c. Developing a research agenda on TCM which acknowledges and includes various
types of research models where appropriate.
12 In the same document, the following strategic actions are recommended for partners and
stakeholders, among others: a. Develop research methodologies consistent with TCM theories and practice;
b. Build up the capacity and capability for international research, including such issues as the adequate protection of intellectual property and the prevention of possible
misappropriation; and
c. Support international research collaboration on TCM
Regional An important development in the area of traditional medicine in the Region was the launching of
the ASEAN-NDI in 2011, which has, as one of its goals, the establishment and development of an ASEAN-wide research collaboration on traditional medicine.
7
In line with this goal, the first Community of Practice CoP Meeting on Traditional Medicine was held in the Philippines in June
2014 to discuss country status and initiatives on traditional medicine and identify possible areas of collaboration. Specific areas of discussion were the expectations and challenges in relation to
activities identified in the ASEAN-NDI Strategic and Business Plan. These include the development of an ASEAN-wide RD project on traditional medicine; collaboration with researchers from
ASEAN-member countries; initiation of external funding request; and ME of research implementation and outcomes.
43
On 12-14 February 2013, the International Conference on Traditional Medicine for South East Asian Countries was held in New Delhi. The conference concluded with the adoption of the Delhi
Declaration on Traditional Medicine for South East Asian Countries which had nine recommendations for cooperation, collaboration and mutual support among signatory countries,
including the:
44
a. development of institutionalized mechanisms for exchange of information, expertise, and knowledge with active cooperation with WHO on traditional medicine through
workshops, symposia, visit of experts, exchange of literature, etc.; and the b. pursuit of a harmonized approach for the education, practice, research,
documentation and regulation of traditional medicine and involvement of traditional medicine practitioners in health services.
During the Sixty-seventh Session of the SEARO Regional Committee held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, September 2014, a resolution on Traditional Medicine: Delhi Declaration was discussed
SEARC6711. This resolution recommended, among others, for the revised HerbalNet to be continuously updated for information exchange; the development of research methodology to
evaluate quality of care; and to facilitate the integration of traditional medicine into conventional health systems.
45
13
Global In Africa, there have been a number of developments in traditional medicine, with 2001-2010
being declared by the African Union as the Decade for African Traditional Medicine. The goal is to bring together all the stakeholders in an effort to make safe, efficacious, quality, and affordable
traditional medicines available to the vast majority of Africans. In 2008, the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation DNDi was launched whose goal is to promote and sustain
African-led product RD innovation through the discovery, development and delivery of affordable new tools, including those based on traditional medicines.
46
A number of research studies have been conducted to investigate the state of RD in traditional medicine in specific African countries. In 2011, a research was done to look into the strategic plan
and road map set up by the Government of Cameroon for the organisational framework and research platform for the practice and development of traditional medicine, and the global
partnership involving the management of traditional management in the country.
47
In the same year, a study was also conducted in Nigeria to examine the research pattern in medicinal plants
and traditional medicine practices with a view of determining how the country fared in herbal edi i e esea h a d de elop e t a d the i pli atio s of the fi di gs o the ou t s health
care system.
48
In Europe, a research network for complementary and alternative medicine CAM was established. It is called CAMbrella and consists of 16 partner institutions from 12 European countries. It
conducted a research program which examined the situation of CAM in Europe between 2010 and 2012, and covered the following areas: terminology; the perspecti
e of itize s o CAM; patie ts pe spe ti es; p o ide s pe spe ti e; a d glo al pe spe ti e. It ai s to e aluate the o ditio s
underpinning CAM use in Europe and develop a roadmap for future European CAM research.
49
2 PROMOTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT