New global health agreement to take Ayush to the world: Government

New Delhi: In a big step to take India's traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda and Yoga to the global stage, the Ministry of Ayush and the World Health Organization (WHO) have signed a major agreement, the government announced on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the importance of this agreement in the 122nd episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', saying that this move will help make Ayush accessible to people across the world in a scientific manner. "Friends, something has happened in the field of Ayurveda as well, which you will be very happy to know about," said PM Modi. "Just yesterday, i.e. on 24th May, an MoU was signed in the presence of the WHO Director General and my friend Tulsi Bhai. Along with this agreement, work has started on a dedicated traditional medicine module under the International Classification of Health Interventions," PM Modi added.

"This initiative will help in making Ayush reach a maximum number of people across the world in a scientific manner," the Prime Minister stated. This agreement marks the beginning of work on a new traditional medicine module under the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), which is a system developed by WHO to classify medical treatments and procedures. The module will include traditional Indian therapies such as Panchakarma, Yoga therapy, Unani regimens, and Siddha treatments. These will now be documented in internationally accepted scientific terms. The inclusion of traditional medicine in the ICHI system will not only bring more recognition to Ayush therapies worldwide but will also improve their acceptance in health insurance, hospital records, and clinical research. It will make billing more transparent and help set fair prices for these treatments.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also welcomed this step. He posted on X saying he was pleased to sign an agreement with the Ministry of Ayush for a $3 million contribution from India towards WHO's work on traditional medicine and ICHI. This move also supports India's vision of promoting its traditional knowledge in global healthcare systems with scientific backing. The combination of WHO's ICD-11 for classifying diseases and the new ICHI module for interventions is expected to make Ayush an important, evidence-based part of health policies and systems around the world.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of bees, beekeeping, and honey production in the context of World Bee Day, celebrated annually on May 20, and remarked that India is now among the world's leading honey-producing countries.

The Prime Minister emphasised the transformative journey of India's honey industry over the past decade. He stated, "The 20th of May was celebrated as 'World Bee Day', a day which reminds us that honey is not just sweetness; it is also an example of health, self-employment and self-reliance."

He noted a remarkable increase in honey production in the country. "During the last 11 years, a sweet revolution has taken place in beekeeping in India. 10-11 years ago, honey production in India was around 70-75 thousand metric tonnes per year. Today, it has increased to around 1.25 lakh metric tonnes. That is, there has been an increase of about 60 per cent in honey production. We have become one of the leading countries in the world in honey production and export," he said. (IANS)

 Also Read: Scientific validation of traditional medicine crucial’: Ayush Ministry

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