Regional consultation on Draft Global Strategy for traditional medicine 2025:2034 and to set the regional research priorities for WHO SEA region

The World Health Organization has sought to achieve "Health for All" as its goal for the past 75 years. Not health for some, not health for many, but Health for All. This does not just mean health in a physical sense, but also well-being - as highlighted in our founding Constitution.

To achieve this goal, the Alma Ata Declaration of 1978 makes two important declarations:

First, that primary health care is essential for achieving Health for All;

And secondly, that primary health care must be based on scientific and socially acceptable methods including traditional medicine.

Thus, safe and effective traditional medicine has a definite and significant role in achieving our core objective.

Today, almost all countries of our South-East Asia Region have developed and implemented a national policy for Traditional medicine.

Nine countries have established formal training and education systems for traditional medicine practitioners, and six countries have co-located traditional medicine services within their health systems.

Five countries have national essential medicine policies on traditional medicine and have also provided financial protection for traditional medicine services.

We recently launched our WHO South-East Asia Regional Roadmap for Results and Resilience. This is a shared strategic framework for a healthier Region, and I'd like to reiterate some of the salient points.

Our roadmap lays out what we call the 'Five Rs':

R1: Reinforcing mental health, well-being and quality of life for all

R2: Reaffirming investment in women, girls, adolescents and vulnerable populations

R3: Realizing access to technology and innovations

R4: Raising capacity, knowledge management and research

R5: Refining WHO leadership and performance

This regional consultation is well aligned with our regional roadmap. It will help advance holistic health and well-being, and also strengthen research and knowledge management.

The global health landscape in general, and our Region in particular, and GPW14 and the WHO Transformation Agenda warrant that we enhance agility, accountability, and operational efficiency. These also compel us to champion key policy developments, such as the Global Strategy for Traditional Medicine, and system-strengthening initiatives such as setting up of the regional research priorities. These, of course, are the two important outcomes of this consultation.

We look forward to fast-tracking this agenda, in alignment with our Region-wide push to reorient health systems towards accessible, affordable, comprehensive and quality primary health care, in conjunction with the new Global Centre for Traditional Medicine.

We also look forward to the outcomes of this Regional consultation, which will help finalize the next WHO Global Strategy for Traditional Medicine, set to be launched next year. May the new Global strategy usher in a new era of scientific, evidence-based Traditional medicine delivering ancient wisdom with modern tools, technologies and innovations.

We also look forward to the outcomes of the deliberations to setup the regional research priorities. This will go a long way in streamlining efforts and resources into a more coordinated and focused manner and building required evidence.

At this consultative meeting and beyond, let us together build the strongest evidence for the safest, most impactful outcomes.

Let us act on Astana, Alma Ata, and the Gujarat declarations, accelerating a person-centred, holistic approach to health and well-being, for a biodiverse planet, and a healthier, more equitable and sustainable future for all.

I once again thank you and extend a very warm welcome to you all.

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