Traditional Medicine
Agreement Signed with WHO
·
First
phase of the contract will prove to be a milestone in the global development of
Traditional and Complementary Medical Care System: Secretary, Ayush.
·
This
agreement will mainstream Traditional and Complementary Medicine into India's National
Health System and also serve the global health objectives: Bruce Aylward, ADG, Universal
Health Coverage and Life Course Division, WHO
·
The
main objective is to integrate aspects like standardization, quality, and safety
of Traditional and Complementary Medical Systems into the National Health System
and to disseminate them at the international level.
·
WHO
(World Health Organization) and the Ministry of Ayush
will jointly complete the work of formulation of the Traditional Medicine Global
Strategy 2025-34.
·
The
Ministry of Ayush and WHO together will shoulder the responsibility
of preserving the rich heritage of Traditional and Complementary Medicine as well
as making it modern, authentic, and global.
The
Ministry of Ayush and World Health Organization (WHO)
have signed Traditional and Complementary Medicine 'Project Collaboration Agreement'
late last night in Geneva. The main objective of this agreement is to standardize
Traditional and Complementary Medical Systems, integrate their quality and safety
aspects into the National Health System, and disseminate them at the international
level. Through this cooperation agreement, efforts will be made to connect Traditional
and Complementary Medical Systems with the mainstream of the National Health System.
To fulfil this objective, Traditional Medicine Global Strategy 2025-34 will be prepared
by WHO with the support of the Ministry of Ayush.
Other
major objectives of the agreement include efforts to strengthen the system of training
and practice in the field of Complementary Medicine System 'Siddha', formulation
of guidelines for the listing of Traditional and Complementary Medicines, safety
and related efforts, etc. An International Herbal Pharmacopoeia of herbs found in
South-East Asia will be developed by the Ministry in collaboration with WHO. Efforts
will be made under this agreement to integrate evidence-based Traditional and Complementary
Medicines with the National Health System, conservation and management of biodiversity
and medicinal plants, etc.
Congratulating
everyone on this occasion, Union Ayush Minister Shri Sarbananda Sononwal said that India
has been the center of culture of many traditional and
alternative medical systems since ancient times. Such global efforts by the Ministry
to strengthen the National Health System will definitely give India a global identity
in the field of healthcare services and promote medical tourism in India. This effort
of the Ministry is one more step taken towards the global success of India.
Ayush Secretary, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, said,
in his virtual message during the signing in event that the first phase of this
agreement, 2023-28, will prove to be a milestone in the global development of Traditional
and Complementary Medical System. According to Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director
General, Universal Health Coverage and Life Course Division, WHO, this collaboration
agreement will bring Traditional and Complementary Medicine Systems into the mainstream
of India's National Health System and serve the objective of global healthcare and
well-being. India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Indra Mani Pandey,
who signed the agreement on the behalf of Indian government, said, “India is committed
to working with WHO to strengthen Traditional Medicine Systems globally and especially
in supporting fellow developing countries in promoting their own traditional medicine
systems.”
A
total of two ‘Project Collaboration Agreements’ have already been signed by the
Ministry of Ayush with WHO. The first contract was signed
in 2016 to take Traditional Medical systems like Yoga, Ayurveda, Unani, and Panchakarma
to the global level and the second contract was signed in 2017 to strengthen the
system of Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha medical systems.
This
agreement was signed at an event organized in Geneva city, Switzerland. Shri Indra
Mani Pandey, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, on behalf
of the Ministry of Ayush, and Dr.
Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director General, Universal Health Coverage and Life Course
Division, on behalf of WHO.