The time is also right to view traditional medicine as a
precious resource. It needs to be respected and supported as a valuable
source of leads for therapeutic advances and the discovery of new
classes of drugs. I need mention only artemisinin for malaria to make
this point.
Research and development in traditional medicine is part of
the WHO global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation
and intellectual property adopted at this year’s World Health Assembly.
Apart from setting out a research agenda for traditional medicine, this
action plan also addresses the need to prevent misappropriation of
health-related traditional knowledge. WHO, together with the World
Intellectual Property Organization, is also providing support in this
area.
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