AYUSH Ministry, WHO SEARO formalize pact for boosting traditional medicine in SE Asia

The AYUSH Ministry and the World Health Organization’s South East Asia’s Regional Office has formalized a Letter of Exchange for deploying an AYUSH expert at the regional traditional medicine programme of the WHO in New Delhi, as per a statement released here on Monday.

AYUSH Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha along with Regional Director of WHO South East Asia Region, Poonam Khetrapal Singh have formalized the agreement, the release added.

The initiative intends to support the WHO South East Asia Region for enforcing the regional traditional medicine action plan with specific emphasis on safe and effective use of traditional medicine service, which comprises of Ayurveda and its appropriate integration into national health care systems.

There will also be a strong attempt to strengthen the capacities of South East region countries in the domain of traditional medicine, the AYUSH ministry statement said.

At the ceremony, Singh said the collaboration of WHO and the Government of India traverses back several decades as per the Basic Agreement both parties terminated in 1952 for completing the inherent responsibilities over friendly competition.

She said, “Today’s agreement will formally extend this cooperation into the area of traditional medicine which is a valuable tool in our shared quest to achieve universal health coverageToday’s agreement will formally extend this cooperation into the area of traditional medicine which is a valuable tool in our shared quest to achieve universal health coverage.”

The Indian systems of medicines are getting very popular and being accepted as a medicinal system in South-East Asian, African countries, European and Latin America nations, the statement said.

The ministry and WHO will be providing assistance to the member states for curating apt policy, regulation framework, sharing of information and activities for blending traditional medicine in public health and dissemination of information to the community, the AYUSH secretary said.