Africa-Press – Mauritius. The Prime Minister, Mr. Pravind Jugnauth, spoke at the start-up ceremony of the WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat this Tuesday, April 19, 2022.
In the presence of the Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, and the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, he shared the government’s vision to promote alternative medicine in Mauritius.
The Minister of AYUSH and Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, and Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, were also present at the function.
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, His Excellency Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bhutan, His Excellency Lotay Tshering, and the Prime Minister of Nepal, His Excellency Sher Bahadur Deuba, addressed the ceremony via video conference.
The Prime Minister announced the construction of an AYUSH Center of Excellence in Côte d’Or which will include a state-of-the-art traditional treatment hospital.
This project benefits from the contribution of the Indian government. Mr. Pravind Jugnauth is currently on an official visit to India at the invitation of the Indian Prime Minister. His participation in the ceremony to start the work of the WHO GCTM is an important step in this trip. In his speech at Jamnagar, Mr.
Pravind Jugnauth expressed his appreciation to the Prime Minister and the Indian government for their choice to associate Mauritius with the pioneering project of the WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine.
This institution will be the WHO center of excellence in traditional medicine. It is the result of an unprecedented collaboration between the WHO and India.
The Prime Minister, in the same breath, hailed the WHO Director-General for his vision to harness the potential of traditional medicine with the advent of the Global Center for Traditional Medicine.
“Traditional medicine is becoming increasingly important in the world of modern science.
Some 40% of approved pharmaceutical products are made from natural substances, highlighting the importance of preserving biodiversity. (…) The potential for sustained development of Ayurveda is immense.
To this end, Mauritius is committed to working with the WHO and peer countries such as India,” maintained the Prime Minister. He recalled the origins and evolution of Ayurvedic practices and treatments in Mauritius which date back to the arrival of the first Indian immigrants engaged in the island.
Ayurveda was officially recognized towards the end of the 80s when the Ayurveda and Other Traditional Medicine Act was adopted in 1989. Mauritius became one of the few countries outside India where Ayurvedic treatments are duly regulated.
During the visit of Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Mauritius in March 2015, an MOU was signed between Mauritius and India to strengthen cooperation in the fields of traditional medicine and homeopathy, including the institution of an AYUSH Chair.
To date, there are six clinics dedicated to Ayurvedic services in the public health service. There are also private providers and NGOs providing this care to the public.
With the new AYUSH hospital in Côte d’Or, the offer of alternative treatments will be completely transformed. India has made the AYUSH system (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) one of the major axes of its health policy.
The AYUSH ministry was set up for this purpose to oversee practices, capacity development, education and research in the fields of alternative medicine.
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