Govt approves pact with WHO in traditional medicine field

The government today gave its approval to a pact between the AYUSH Ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the field of traditional medicine, a move aimed at improving acceptibility and branding AYUSH systems internationally.
A meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the pact, which will also help in long-term collaboration with WHO in facilitating awareness about AYUSH systems of medicine through education, skill development, workshops and exchange programmes between AYUSH and the UN body for capacity building.
The Cabinet gave its nod to the agreement for collaborative activities to be signed in the area of traditional medicine between AYUSH Ministry and the World Health Organization in Geneva, an official statement said.

The collaboration will "facilitate advocacy and dissemination of information on AYUSH systems amongst the Member States, collaboration with third parties for creating synergies in implementation of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023 particularly in the context of AYUSH systems," it said.
The expenditure for carrying out collaborative activities will be met from the allocated budget under the existing plan schemes of AYUSH Ministry. The activities will start subsequent to the signing of agreements by the two parties as per terms of reference.
As a first step in the long-term collaboration, India would assign to WHO activities for development of the its technical documents and publications like benchmarks for training in Yoga, practice in Ayurveda, Unani Medicine and Panchakarma.

Under the collaboration, AYUSH and WHO would take up other

activities that could encompass multilateral collaboration for promotion of Traditional and Complementary Medicine or Systems (T&CM).
This will include development of the WHO publication on the basic terminologies for T&CM, establishment of a database for global T&CM practitioners and establishment of a network of international regulatory cooperation for T&CM practice, the statement said, adding the agreement between WHO and AYUSH is expected to benefit the practitioners of AYUSH systems.
AYUSH Ministry aims to promote, propagate and globalise the T&CM, including ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, unani, siddha, sowa rigpa and homeopathy.
During a presentation by AYUSH Ministry on July 3, 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked it to seize opportunities so as to take the lead at a time when holistic health care has gained currency.

During the presentation, it was emphasised that a roadmap be prepared to establish India's credentials in holistic health-care, including preparation of authoritative and credible literature.