Is India's WHO-backed project its magic pill in traditional medicine race with China?

India is aiming to gain an edge over China in the ancient system of medicine following the recent launch of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in the western state of Gujarat as both neighbours vie to promote the use of indigenous therapies worldwide.

"Traditional medicine is often the first line of treatment for millions across the world," World Health Organization's Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at last month's groundbreaking ceremony for the project touted as the first global outpost for traditional medicine including Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and African systems.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attended the event in the Gujarati city of Jamnagar where his government has pumped US$250 million into the 35-acre facility which is expected to begin operations in 2024.

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Poonam Khetrapal, WHO's Asia chief, said the hub will be a "game-changer" in harnessing the power of science to strengthen the evidence base for traditional medicine that is used by 170 of 194 members of the UN health body.

"The new facility will focus on evidence and learning, data analytics, sustainability and equity, innovation and technology to help harness the ancient wisdom and power of traditional medicine," ANI news agency quoted her as saying.

A GTCM official said Jamnagar was a natural choice as venue for the centre as it already hosts the world's first ayurvedic university (Gujarat Ayurveda University) as well as the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda.

Modi's supporters, however, have sought to label the project as a soft power coup by the prime minister following his "success" in promoting yoga around the world.

At the proposal of Modi, the United Nations General Assembly in 2014 declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. His administration also upgraded the department of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homeopathy (AYUSH) to a full-fledged ministry eight years ago.

To capitalise on the burgeoning health and wellness industry, the government announced it would soon roll-out "AYUSH visas" for foreigners visiting India seeking traditional modes of treatment.

According to a report by Research and Information System for Developing Countries, AYUSH's market size has grown by 17 per cent between 2014 and 2020 to reach US$18.1 billion and is projected to surge to US$23.3 billion this year.

Acharya Madan Mohan, a third-generation ayurveda expert, said the success of traditional medicine is unsurprising considering millions use herbs, acupuncture, yoga and plants and flower-based mixtures as wellness cures - a trend that has gained popularity during the pandemic.

"Although dismissed as unscientific by some modern medicine practitioners, ayurveda ("knowledge or science of life" in Sanskrit) is popularly used in India to address ailments ranging from diabetes to cancer," Mohan said, adding the discipline largely focuses on prevention with curative and therapeutic elements.

He also noted that despite the predominance of an already well-established modern healthcare system, many Asians believe that traditional medicines hold secret cures and knowledge that still eludes Western sciences.

Mohan said around 40 per cent of approved pharmaceutical products in use today are derived from natural substances.

The WHO pointed to the discovery of aspirin drawn on formulations using willow tree bark, the development of the contraceptive pill from wild yam plant roots and child cancer treatments based on the rosy periwinkle.

While the GCTM initiative is aimed at exploring the ancient medicine's potential, experts highlight the geopolitical overtones associated with its establishment in India and not China despite WHO chief Ghebreyesus' rapport with Chinese President Xi Jinping who is also a strong advocate of traditional treatment methods.

"This gives an edge to the Indian government in pushing ayurveda and its other wellness products to international markets," retired diplomat Kanwal Sibal said.

"It's certainly a victory for India in this brutally competitive space and will promote acceptability of ayurveda globally."

But that is not going to be an easy task as there are limits to what traditional medicine can achieve, said epidemiologist Dr Mandeep Singh at New Delhi's Max Super Speciality Hospital.

"Traditional medicine is inherently a polarising subject and staunch advocates of modern medicine reject any medical formulations that are not tested or certified by official drug regulators," Singh said.

He, however, suggested the idea should be to promote cooperation and synergy between traditional medicine and modern allopathic medicine "so that both can work together integrating best features of each system."

Echoing Singh's view, a WHO panel last month recommended that member states consider using traditional Chinese medicine to help manage Covid-19, saying there is evidence that the regimen was beneficial in reducing the risk of progression from mild-to-moderate cases to severe illness.

It added that further analysis and trials be conducted and the results shared with member states.

Singh said GCTM can make a difference as India, especially the southern state of Kerala, was a magnet for foreigners seeking ayurvedic treatment for a range of ailments.

According to the state tourism body, nearly 35 per cent of the travellers who come to Kerala for medical tourism are repeat visitors exploring traditional healing.

If the project succeeds, experts say doctors will be able to prescribe holistic solutions by combining modern diagnosis with ancient medicines but Singh warned that a favourable outcome will depend on ensuring that traditional Indian medicine meets global standards.

"This is vital as such systems are often associated with mumbo jumbo," the epidemiologist said, adding "So, the looming question is: will India be able to establish the credibility of these traditional systems and develop scientific treatment protocols for better application to the patients?"

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

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