New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine and said it would help provide better medical solutions to the world.
He laid the foundation stone in the presence of the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organisation.
PM Modi also thanked the United Nations for accepting India's proposal and declaring 2023 as the International Millet Year.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said the centre could establish a holistic treatment protocol for specific diseases in which the patient gets benefits of both modern and traditional medicine.
"This centre has opened the door of age of traditional medicine in the world. It's not just an institution's inauguration, it is the beginning of the traditional medicine era in the world for the next 25 years," PM Modi said.
"India is taking this centre as a big responsibility for service to all of humanity. This centre will help in providing better medical solutions to the world with the support of traditional medicines," PM Modi further said.
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The Centre, the first of its kind in the world, aims to channel the potential of traditional medicine by integrating it with technological advancements and evidence-based research.
PM Modi said that the new centre could play an important role in expanding the scope of yoga. "I also want to keep five goals for this Global Centre, including the compilation of a database for traditional medicines using tech," he said.
"India's worthy traditions are very useful to the world in fighting diseases like diabetes, obesity and depression. Yoga is prevailing through International Yoga Day and helping in decreasing mental pressure and maintaining balance all over the world," he said.
WHO Chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) would help in harnessing the "power of science to strengthen evidence-based traditional medicine".
"I thank PM Modi for USD 250 million investment to establish the centre with an interim office and a 10-year commitment for operating costs. From the day I spoke to PM Modi, his commitment was amazing and I knew that this centre will be in good hands," Ghebreyesus said.
The WHO chief asserted that the centre was "a truly global project". "India will go the world and the whole world will come to India," he further said.