By Dr Than Lwin Tun
ACCORDING to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), Traditional Medicine is “the total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.”
ACCORDING to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), Traditional Medicine is “the total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.”
Across the world, traditional medicine (TM) is either the mainstay of healthcare delivery or serves as a complement to it. In some countries, traditional medicine or non-conventional medicine may be termed complementary medicine (CM). Traditional medicine (TM) is an important and often underestimated part of health services. TM has a long history of use in health maintenance and in disease prevention and treatment, particularly for chronic disease.
UHC is the goal of ensuring that all people have access to quality health services without suffering financial hardship. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes traditional medicine as an essential component of primary healthcare and has developed guidelines for its integration into the national healthcare system.
UHC has a direct impact on a population’s health. Access to health services enables people to be more productive and active contributors to their families and communities. It also ensures that children can go to school and learn. At the same time, financial risk protection prevents people from being pushed into poverty when they have to pay for health services out of their own pockets. Universal health coverage is thus a critical component of sustainable development and poverty reduction and a key element of any effort to reduce social inequities. Universal coverage is the hallmark of a government’s commitment to improving the well-being of all its citizens.
Universal coverage is firmly based on the WHO Constitution of 1948 declaring health a fundamental human right and on the Health for All agenda set by the Alma-Ata declaration in 1978. Equity is paramount. This means that countries need to track progress not just across the national population but within different groups (e.g. by income level, sex, age, place of residence, migrant status and ethnic origin).
The World Health Assembly resolution on Traditional Medicine (WHA62.13), adopted in 2009, requested the WHO Director-General to update the WHO Traditional medicine strategy 2002-2005, based on countries’ progress and current new challenges in the field of traditional medicine. The WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023 thus reappraises and builds on the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002–2005, and sets out the course for TM and CM (T&CM) in the next decade. T&CM is an important and often underestimated part of health care. T&CM is found in almost every country in the world and the demand for its services is increasing. TM, of proven quality, safety, and efficacy, contributes to the goal of ensuring that all people have access to care. Many countries now recognize the need to develop a cohesive and integrative approach to health care that allows governments, health care practitioners and, most importantly, those who use health care services, to access T&CM in a safe, respectful, cost-efficient and effective manner. A global strategy to foster its appropriate integration, regulation and supervision will be useful to countries wishing to develop a proactive policy towards this important - and often vibrant and expanding - part of health care.
Traditional medicine practitioners remain the primary health-care providers for millions of people in South-East Asia, especially in rural areas”, said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia Region. “Every country in the Region has a unique history of traditional medical practices, most of which are still actively practised. To ensure that people are receiving quality traditional medicines in a safe and affordable way, it is important to hold these practices to rigorous standards to ensure that there is regulation of practice, product and practitioners. If appropriately integrated into the existing health systems, traditional medicines can play an important role in achieving UHC, she added.
In order to meet the increasing demand for and improve the quality, safety and efficacy of traditional medicine, WHO launched the Traditional Medicine Strategy: 2014-2023 with a three-pronged objective: to build a knowledge base and formulate national policies; to strengthen the safety, quality and effectiveness of traditional medicines through regulation; and to support UHC through appropriate integration of traditional medicine services.
The integration of traditional medicine into the national healthcare system can bring several benefits, such as increased access to healthcare services, improved health outcomes, and reduced healthcare costs. Traditional medicine is often more affordable and accessible than Western medicine, especially in rural areas where there may be limited access to modern healthcare facilities. Moreover, traditional medicine can help bridge cultural gaps and improve trust between patients and healthcare providers. Many people in developing countries have deep cultural and spiritual connections to traditional medicine, and its use can help improve patient satisfaction.
However, it is essential to note that traditional medicine should be used in conjunction with modern medicine, not as a replacement. Traditional medicine practitioners should be trained and regulated to ensure that their practices are safe and effective. Additionally, there is a need for more research to better understand the safety and efficacy of traditional medicine and to develop evidence-based guidelines for its use.
In conclusion, traditional medicine has an important role to play in achieving UHC in developing countries. Its integration into the national healthcare system can increase access to healthcare services, improve health outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs. However, this must be done in a manner that ensures patient safety and quality of care, and with the recognition that traditional medicine should complement, not replace modern medicine. Therefore quality traditional medicine can deliver Universal Health Coverage.
Reference,
-What is universal health coverage? (who.int)
-www.searo.who.int -WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023
