WHO SEARO Traditional Medicine Workshop

30 September 2019

Earlier this month, NICM Senior Research Fellow Dr Suzanne Grant presented as an invited advisor at the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region (SEARO) Clinical Research Methodologies in Traditional Medicine Workshop held in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.

The WHO SEARO group consists of eleven member countries, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Timor Leste, Maldives, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal.

Representatives attending presented the state of research in traditional medicine in their respective countries, as well as participated in workshops on research methods and determined strategies for developing traditional medicine research in their countries and the region.

Dr Grant held a workshop on the Delphi Method, in addition to facilitating sessions and providing guidance on planned initiatives.

Dr Grant says the status and capacity for traditional medicine research across these countries represented varies considerably.

“The systems of medicine across each of the countries include variations on Ayurvedic medicine and other indigenous healing systems,” said Dr Grant.

“India has invested considerable resources in Ayurveda including the expansion of the Ministry of AYUSH and the quality of research being produced within India continues to improve.

“Jamnagar is home to the largest Ayurvedic University and Hospital in India, with the hospital seeing over 1,000 patients per day.  A tour of the University and Hospital showed considerable research underway.”