Ayush Ministry holds bilaterals with 16 nations during WHO summit on traditional medicine

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) To strengthen international cooperation in the field of traditional medicine, the Ayush Ministry on Wednesday held bilateral meetings with the delegations from 16 countries taking part in the second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine being held here from December 17-19.

Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav held bilateral talks with delegations from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Micronesia, Mauritius and Fiji, while senior ministry officials engaged with the remaining countries.

In total, the ministry conducted 16 bilateral meetings with delegations from Brazil, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Micronesia, Mauritius, Fiji, Kenya, the UAE, Mexico, Vietnam, Bhutan, Suriname, Thailand, Ghana and Cuba.

Jadhav also met the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to express India's gratitude for WHO's leadership in advancing traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) globally, on Day 2 of the summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the closing ceremony of the summit at the Bharat Mandapam on Friday.

The summit entered a decisive phase on Thursday with high-level deliberations on science, research investment, innovation, safety, regulation and health system integration, reaffirming the role of traditional medicine as a key contributor to an equitable, resilient and people-centred global health ecosystem, officials said.

Guided by the theme ‘Restoring Balance: The Science and Practice of Health and Well-Being’, the sessions were closely aligned with the newly-adopted WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034, translating strategic vision into implementable pathways for countries and communities, an official statement said.

On the sidelines, an institute-level MoU between India and Cuba, involving the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), was extended, with the establishment of a joint working group to advance collaboration in curriculum development, public health integration, Panchakarma training, and regulatory coherence in ayurveda, the statement said.

On Day 2 of the summit, experts from various countries shared their insights and experiences, contributing to in-depth discussions on the advancement of traditional medicines globally.

A plenary session with the theme 'Investing in Science to Drive Traditional Medicine Progress' opened with the central theme – ‘Investing in Science to Drive Traditional Medicine Progress’ – emphasising the role of scientific research in advancing traditional medicine globally.

The session highlighted the importance of sustained investment, innovation, methodological harmonisation, and international collaboration to establish traditional medicine as an evidence-based health domain, the statement said.

A parallel session with the theme 'Translating the WHO Traditional Medicine Research Roadmap into Global Action' focused on operationalising the WHO traditional medicine research roadmap, addressing research complexity, codification of knowledge systems and global capacity building, the statement said.

The discussions highlighted how traditional medicine research can align with the sustainable development goals, support people-centred care and contribute to health system integration and economic evaluation.

Another parallel session with the theme 'The Science of Well-Being – Evidence from Traditional Medicine' explored scientific evidence on traditional medicine's contributions to mental health, pain management, cancer care, self-care, antibiotic resistance and healthy longevity. PTI PLB ARI