Jim Daly
Ceist:126. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding indigenous medicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29262/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 22 June 2017
Ceisteanna (126)
Freagraí scríofa
The World Health Assembly agreed a Resolution on Strengthening integrated, people-centred health services, which interalia urges WHO Member States
“to integrate where appropriate traditional and complementary medicine and modern health systems, based on national context and knowledge-based policies, while assuring the safety, quality and effectiveness of health services and taking into account a holistic approach to health ”.
The Resolution recalled the earlier World Health Assembly Resolution 67.18 (2014) on Traditional Medicine which requested the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO):
- to continue to provide policy guidance to Member States on how to integrate traditional and complementary medicine services within their national and/or subnational health care system(s), as well as the technical guidance that would ensure the safety, quality and effectiveness of such traditional and complementary medicine services with emphasis on quality assurance;
- to continue to promote international cooperation and collaboration in the area of traditional and complementary medicine in order to share evidence-based information, taking into account the traditions and customs of indigenous peoples and communities.
My Department is keen that the WHO would act to support Member States particularly in relation to technical guidance and the sharing of evidence-based information on traditional and complementary medicine as, in their absence, evidence-based decisions cannot be taken. In this light, it is not my intention to integrate complementary and traditional medicine in the Irish healthcare services.