AI legalese decoder: Assisting with Traditional Medicine Regulations

The World Health Organization opened its first summit on traditional medicine on Thursday, with the group saying it was seeking to collect evidence and data to allow for the safe use of such treatments.

Traditional medicines are a “first port of call for millions of people worldwide”, the UN health agency said, with the talks in India bringing together policymakers and academics aiming to “mobilise political commitment and evidence-based action” towards them.

“WHO is working to build the evidence and data to inform policies, standards and regulations for the safe, cost-effective and equitable use of traditional medicine”, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as he opened the summit.

Traditional medicine could boost healthcare “access gaps”, but was of value only if used “appropriately, effectively, and above all, safely based on the latest scientific evidence”, Tedros warned earlier.

The two-day WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit takes place alongside a meeting of G20 health ministers in the Indian city of Gandhinagar.

“We need to face a very important real-life fact that traditional medicines are very widely used,” Nobel laureate and Chair of WHO Science Council Harold Varmus told the summit via video link.

“It is important to understand what ingredients are actually in traditional medicines, why they work in some cases… and importantly, we need to understand and identify which traditional medicines don’t work”.

The summit, set to become a regular event, follows the opening last year of a WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, also in India’s Gujarat state.

Lack of regulatory oversight

While traditional medicines are widely used in some parts of the world, they also face fierce criticism.

The UN health agency defines traditional medicine as the knowledge, skills and practices used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness.

But many traditional treatments have no proven scientific value and conservationists say the industry drives a rampant trade in endangered animalsÔÇöincluding tigers, rhinos and pangolinsÔÇöand threatens the existence of entire species.

Use of homemade remedies soared during the Covid-19 pandemic, including a green herbal drink based on Artemisia that was promoted by Madagascar’s president as a cure.

The plant has a proven efficacy in malaria treatment, but its use to combat Covid was widely scorned by many doctors.

In China, traditional medicine has a distinguished history, but top European medical bodies have previously demanded it be subject to the same regulatory oversight as conventional medical methods.

“Advancing science on traditional medicine should be held to the same rigorous standards as in other fields of health,” WHO research chief John Reeder said in a statement.

Of the WHO’s 194 member states, 170 acknowledged their use of traditional and complementary medicine since 2018, but only 124 reported having laws or regulations for the use of herbal medicinesÔÇöwhile only half had a national policy on such methods and medicines.

“Natural doesn’t always mean safe, and centuries of use are not a guarantee of efficacy; therefore, scientific method and process must be applied to provide the rigorous evidence required,” the WHO said.

About 40 percent of approved pharmaceutical products currently in use derive from a “natural product basis”, according to the WHO, citing “landmark drugs” that derive from traditional medicine, including aspirin, drawing on formulations using willow tree bark.

AI legalese decoder: Enhancing Traditional Medicine Regulation Efforts

Amid the growing popularity of traditional medicine worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken a significant step by organizing its first summit on traditional medicine. The objective of the summit is to gather evidence and data that can facilitate the safe use of traditional treatments. Recognizing that traditional medicines serve as the first point of contact for millions of individuals globally, the UN health agency aims to mobilize political commitment and evidence-based action towards these medicines.

During the opening of the summit, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the organization’s commitment to building evidence, data, and policies that ensure the safe, cost-effective, and equitable use of traditional medicine. This focus on evidence and safety is crucial in order to harness the potential benefits of traditional medicine while ensuring appropriate usage based on the latest scientific research.

To address the widespread use of traditional medicine, the two-day WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit is being held alongside a meeting of G20 health ministers in India. This platform allows policymakers and academics to exchange ideas and contribute to the development of regulations and standards for traditional medicine.

Nobel laureate and Chair of WHO Science Council, Harold Varmus, emphasized the importance of understanding the ingredients and efficacy of traditional medicines. Identifying the medicines that work and those that don’t work is key in ensuring the safe and effective use of traditional treatments.

Recognizing the lack of regulatory oversight surrounding traditional medicine, the UN health agency’s efforts to establish the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India’s Gujarat state last year and organizing regular global summits demonstrate a commitment to addressing this issue. However, the use of traditional medicine also faces criticism due to unproven scientific value and concerns about the trade in endangered animals for medicinal purposes.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the popularity of homemade remedies surged, including a green herbal drink based on Artemisia that was promoted as a cure by Madagascar’s president. While the plant has proven efficacy in malaria treatment, its use for Covid-19 was widely criticized by medical professionals.

In response to these challenges, the WHO research chief, John Reeder, advocates for advancing the scientific understanding of traditional medicine and subjecting it to the same rigorous standards as conventional medical methods. This approach ensures that traditional medicine is held to the highest scientific standards to guarantee safety and efficacy.

Although 170 of the WHO’s 194 member states have acknowledged their use of traditional and complementary medicine, only 124 have reported having laws or regulations for herbal medicines. Moreover, only half of the member states have a national policy on traditional medicine. The WHO emphasizes the need for scientific methods and processes to provide rigorous evidence despite centuries of traditional medicine use. This is particularly important as approximately 40 percent of approved pharmaceutical products derive from natural sources.

How Can AI legalese decoder Help?

The AI legalese decoder tool can play a vital role in the regulation of traditional medicine. With its advanced natural language processing capabilities, the AI legalese decoder can analyze and interpret complex legal documents and regulations related to traditional medicine. It can identify key provisions, standards, and guidelines that need to be followed to ensure the safe and effective use of traditional treatments.

The tool can also aid in comparing and aligning regulations across different jurisdictions, facilitating harmonized policies and regulatory frameworks for traditional medicine. By automating the analysis of legal texts, the AI legalese decoder saves time and resources for regulatory authorities, allowing them to focus on developing evidence-based policies and standards.

Moreover, the AI legalese decoder can assist in monitoring compliance with traditional medicine regulations. It can flag any discrepancies or non-compliance with established standards, helping regulatory authorities take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and quality of traditional medicines available in the market.

In conclusion, the AI legalese decoder offers valuable support in the regulation of traditional medicine. By enabling efficient analysis and monitoring of legal documents, it contributes to the development of evidence-based policies, harmonization of regulations, and enforcement of standards for the safe and effective use of traditional treatments.