Ayush Ministry holds historic global summit on traditional medicine; Minister Sonowal attends

The Ministry of Ayush conducted a media interaction at Transport Bhavan in New Delhi to provide insights into the significant outcomes of the recently concluded inaugural WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit.

The summit, held in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar from August 17 to 18, witnessed participation from 88 countries and marked a pivotal moment in the global dialogue on traditional medicine.

Speaking to the gathered press, the Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted the upcoming Gujarat Declaration, set to be announced by the World Health Organisation.

“The credit for the exemplary transformation of the Ministry of Ayush is solely due to the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,” Sonowal said.

The summit, held concurrently with the G20 Health Minister’s meeting, presented an invaluable opportunity for India to exhibit its rich heritage of traditional medicine. Sonowal expressed optimism that the summit’s outcomes would propel India’s traditional medicine systems in the right direction and called upon journalists to actively promote the subject through their coverage.

Highlighting the Ayush Ministry’s initiatives to broaden the horizons of Indian Traditional Medicine Systems, Sonowal noted successful bilateral meetings with Nepal, Malaysia, Qatar, Venezuela, and Cuba. These meetings facilitated productive discussions on research, practices, education, and training in Ayurveda and other traditional medicine systems. Through these engagements, India extended invitations to these countries to collaborate, share best practices, and leverage the advancements made in Traditional Medicine.

World ready to accept traditional medicine: Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal

Touching upon the global acceptance of Traditional Medicine, Minister Sonowal drew attention to the preliminary findings of the latest Global Survey on Traditional Medicine by the World Health Organisation. This survey indicated that 97 out of 157 WHO member states have National Policies concerning Traditional Medicine. These findings were deliberated upon during the summit, further underlining the increasing recognition of Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative medicine systems worldwide.

“Encouraged by research in the field, today’s world is ready to accept evidence-based Traditional, Complementary and Integrative medicine systems for the betterment of mankind,” Sonowal said.

The media interaction shed light on India’s endeavours to promote traditional medicine on a global platform, showcasing its commitment to holistic healthcare practices and fostering international collaborations.