Geneva, March 25 : : The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of India on Friday signed an agreement to establish the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat, a statement issued by the UN agency said. The centre will be launched on April 21, it said. This global knowledge centre for traditional medicine, supported by an investment of $250 million from the Government of India, aims to harness the potential of traditional medicine from across the world through modern science and technology to improve the health of people and the planet, the statement read. The Ministry of Ayush has signed the pact on behalf of the Government of India. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said millions around the world believe that traditional medicine is the first port of call to treat many diseases. “Ensuring all people have access to safe and effective treatment is an essential part of WHO’s mission, and this new centre will help to harness the power of science to strengthen the evidence base for traditional medicine. I’m grateful to the Government of India for its support, and we look forward to making it a success,” he added. Expressing content at the development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the centre will help in “providing the best healthcare solutions to the world”. “It is heartening to learn about the signing of the Host Country Agreement for the establishment of Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM). The agreement between the Ministry of Ayush and World Health Organization (WHO) to establish the WHO-GCTM at Jamnagar, Gujarat, is a commendable initiative,” he said. “Through various initiatives, our government has been tireless in its endeavour to make preventive and curative healthcare, affordable and accessible to all. May the global centre at Jamnagar help in providing the best healthcare solutions to the world,” Modi added. According to the WHO, its centre in Jamnagar will serve as the hub and is being designed to engage and benefit all regions of the world. “It will concentrate on building a solid evidence base for policies and standards on traditional medicine practices and products and help countries integrate it as appropriate into their health systems and regulate its quality and safety for optimal and sustainable impact,” the UN agency said in the statement. Around 80 per cent of the world’s population is estimated to use traditional medicine. To date, 170 of the 194 WHO the Member States have reported the use of traditional medicine, and their governments have asked for WHO’s support in creating a body of reliable evidence and data on traditional medicine practices and products, the WHO added. ASH ING