AYUSH Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha has said that bilateral discussions for strengthening cooperation in traditional medicine were held with around 16 countries during the Second WHO Global Summit in New Delhi. Addressing a press conference on the second day of the summit yesterday, Mr Kotecha added that these include Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Bhutan.

 

 

Mr Kotecha noted that the discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in traditional medicine through the formation of Joint Working Groups to take collaborations forward in a structured and sustained manner. He informed that India signed an extension of a Memorandum of Understanding with Cuba.

 

 

Under the agreement, an AYUSH Chair will be established at a medical university in Cuba, along with the setting up of a Panchakarma Centre to support the integration of Ayurveda into Cuba’s national health system.

 

 

The Secretary also informed that AYUSH Minister Prataprao Jadhav met WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus yesterday. He said that the minister expressed gratitude for the WHO’s efforts in advancing Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine globally.