2023-08-18 18:29:34
48% of French people have used “traditional medicine”, according to a survey carried out by Odoxa for Unadfi (National Union of Associations for the Defense of Families and the Individual) last May. A few weeks later, the Order of Physicians denounced the lack of supervision and monitoring around certain unconventional care practices. “It is necessary to sort out practices that are dangerous to the health of patients and those that may be of interest in supporting the patient and restricting them to the sole area of well-being”, explained the institution.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been organizing its first global summit on traditional medicine since Thursday, on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 health ministers in Gandhinagar, India. What is his goal ? We put the question to Dr. Kim Sungchol, head of the traditional, complementary and integrative medicine unit at the WHO.
What is traditional medicine?
According to the WHO, it is “the knowledge, skills and practices that different cultures, such as indigenous peoples, have used over time to maintain health and to prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness. » Traditional medicine includes more than 400 different practices, such as aromatherapy, aimed at using herbal mixtures, osteopathyhypnosis, acupuncture or even yoga.
In a recent report, the WHO recalls the contributions of traditional medicine in the pharmaceutical products used today. “40% of authorized pharmaceutical products used today are derived from natural substances. She cites in particular aspirin, discovered thanks to traditional medicine formulas using willow bark or the contraceptive pill, developed from the roots of the wild yam.
Why did you create such a summit?
As early as 1978, the WHO set up a program on traditional medicine. “We are already working on developing policy guidelines on integrating traditional medicine into the health system,” recalls Kim Sungchol. But for that, it is still necessary to take into account the context and the reality of each country. While traditional medicine is an integral part of the health system of many countries, particularly in Asia, Africa or Latin America, this is not the case in all WHO member states. “Beliefs around traditional medicine are very different depending on the territory”, explains the expert.
To date, 170 of WHO’s 194 Member States report that their populations use some form of traditional medicine. “126 countries have put in place public policies on these practices, which shows that they recognize certain traditional medicine practices,” said Kim Sungchol. During this summit, practitioners, researchers, academics but also citizens of member countries, especially indigenous populations, will sit around the table to discuss their practices. “This summit is an important opportunity to advance the understanding and use of traditional medicine. It is necessary and timely to do so now. »
What is the purpose of this summit?
“The main goal is to strengthen the knowledge base on traditional medicine in order to encourage member countries to integrate them into their health systems by putting in place appropriate national policies,” explains the WHO expert. But what about regulation, in particular requested by the Order of Physicians in France? “Sometimes there is a need to regulate, especially when the communication is misleading,” confirms Kim Sungchol. By providing a legislative framework for products and the exercise of certain non-conventional care practices, the WHO wishes to strengthen their quality, safety and effectiveness.
To form a body of reliable data on the practices and products of traditional medicine, the WHO is currently conducting a study based on new technologies. “We try to use new technologies like artificial intelligence to find evidence of the effectiveness of certain practices. Functional magnetic resonance imaging has, for example, made it possible to study brain activity during certain traditional medicine therapies, such as meditation or yoga. When the future meets the traditional.
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