India, WHO discuss working together for Ayurvedic , Siddha and other traditional medicines

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General and India's Secretary (West) Ministry of External Affairs discussed working together for global health and well-being, including in traditional medicines and digital health on Monday.

India's side Sanjay Verma explained WHO's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus about the significance of ayurvedic and Siddha medicines. In India, it is often defined as including practices and therapies -- such as yoga, Ayurveda, and Siddha.

These therapies and practices have been part of Indian tradition historically as well as others -- such as homeopathy -- that became part of Indian tradition over the years.

The Siddha system is followed predominantly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala

The Sowa-Rigpa system is practised mainly in Leh-Ladakh and Himalayan regions such as Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, Lahaul, and Spiti.

"Secretary(West) @SanjayVermalFS had a warm, fruitful meeting with DG @WHO@DrTedros. They discussed further strengthening India-WHO relations, working together for global health and well-being, including in Traditional Medicine & Digital Health," tweeted Permanent Mission of India, Geneva.

Recently, the ground-breaking ceremony was performed for the first-of-its-kind WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

Additionally, the Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit were held in Gandhinagar aimed at increasing investments and showcasing innovations in the field of traditional medicine.

According to the Central government, the purpose of establishing GCTM is the integration of traditional medicines with technological advancements; setting policies and standards; and supporting efforts to implement the WHO strategy.

As per the WHO estimates, 80% of the world's population uses traditional medicine.

India has committed an estimated $250 million to support the GCTM's establishment, infrastructure, and operations.

According to the WHO, traditional medicine is the total sum of the "knowledge, skills and practises indigenous and different cultures have used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness".

Its reach encompasses ancient practices such as acupuncture, ayurvedic medicine, and herbal mixtures as well as modern medicines.