On August 17, the World Health Organization (WHO) opened its first summit on traditional medicine in India. The group aims to gather evidence and data to support the safe use of folk remedies.
The WHO has stated that traditional medicines are the first choice for millions of people around the world. In this way, the World Health Organization collects factual data to substantiate policies, standards and rules for the safe use of folk medicine.
"We have to recognize a very important fact from real life that traditional medicines are very widely used. It is important to understand what ingredients are actually included in traditional medicines, why they work in some cases and, importantly, we need to understand and identify which traditional medicines do not work," Nobel laureate and WHO Scientific Council Chair Harold Varmus said at the summit.
Traditional medicine can fill "access gaps" in health care, but will only have value if used "appropriately, effectively and above all safely based on the latest scientific evidence." This was previously warned by the head of the WHO Tedros Ghebreyesus.
Many traditional methods of treatment have no proven scientific value. The use of home remedies has skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic, including a green wormwood-based drink that the president of Madagascar has touted as a cure. The plant has proven effectiveness in the treatment of malaria, but many doctors condemn its use to fight the coronavirus.
Of the 194 WHO Member States, 170 recognized the use of traditional and complementary medicine as of 2018, but only 124 reported having laws or regulations on the use of herbal medicines and only half had national policies on such methods and medicines. According to the WHO, about 40% of approved pharmaceutical products are produced on the basis of "natural products".
"Natural does not always mean safe, and centuries of use are no guarantee of effectiveness. Therefore, in order to obtain the necessary rigorous evidence, it is necessary to apply the scientific method and process," noted the WHO.