AYUSH-WHO venture cleared by Union Cabinet

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a pact between the AYUSH ministry and World Health Organisation (WHO) in the field of traditional medicine.

ü  AYUSH stands for ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy , unani, siddha and homoeopathy .

Key Points of the agreement

ü  The agreement has scope for collaborative activities in the area of traditional medicine, which is expected to internationally promote the AYUSH system of medicine, and enhance their acceptability.

ü  Long-term collaboration with WHO in facilitating awareness about AYUSH through education, skill development, workshops and exchange programmes.

ü  Facilitate advocacy and dissemination of information on AYUSH systems amongst the member states.

ü  The collaboration will “facilitate advocacy and dissemination of information on AYUSH systems amongst the member states, and collaboration with third parties for creating synergies in implementation of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023 particularly in the context of AYUSH systems.

The expenditure for carrying out collaborative activities will be met from the ministry's allocated budget under existing plan schemes. Work will start subsequent to the signing of agreements by the two parties as per terms of reference. As a first step in the collaboration, India will assign to WHO activities for development of its technical documents and publications.