International Conference on Traditional Medicine for South-East Asian Countries ended

The two-day International Conference on Traditional Medicine for South-East Asian Countries concluded with the Adoption of Delhi Declaration in New Delhi on 13 February 2013. The Delhi Declaration was made for fostering the development of Traditional Medicine of the region.

Agenda’s of Delhi Declaration on Traditional Medicine for the South-East Asian Countries:

• For appropriate use of traditional medicines in the health care delivery system impartial development and promotion of national policies, strategies and interventions
• Development of institutionalized mechanism for exchange of information, expertise and knowledge with active cooperation with WHO on traditional medicine through workshops, symposia, visit of experts, exchange of literature and more
• To pursue harmonized approach for the education, research, documentation, practice and regulation of traditional medicine along with the involvement of practitioners of health services of the traditional medicine
• Identification of the possible ways for promotion of mutual recognition of educational qualifications that is awarded by recognized Universities, monographs, pharmacopoeias and relevant databases of traditional medicine
• The declaration included development of a common document for reference on traditional medicines for the south East Asian nations
• To identify and develop the scopes of regional cooperation for training and capacity building of traditional medicine experts
• To encourage sustainable development and resource augmentation of medicinal plants in the South East Asian regional countries
• To establish regional centers as required for capacity building and networking in the areas of traditional medicine and medicinal plants
• To exchange views, experiences and experts for integration of traditional medicine into national health systems in accordance with national policies and regulations

The conference was attended by the representatives of South-East Asian countries namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, DPR Korea, Indonesia, Myanmar, Maldives and Thailand.