Agreement between AYUSH ministry, WHO gets cabinet nod

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.

This will help in better international acceptability of Indian systems, the statement said.

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.