The World Health Organization (WHO) organsed
a two-day Technical Project Meeting on Traditional Medicine (TM) intervention
code set development in New Delhi recently toward global integration of
traditional healthcare. The initiative was driven by the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) and Donor Agreement signed between the Ministry of Ayush
and WHO on May 24, 2025. This agreement helps develop a dedicated Traditional
Medicine module within the International Classification of Health Interventions
(ICHI), the international global standard for classifying healthcare
interventions, with India facilitating both the financial and technical
frameworks necessary to bring Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani (ASU) systems into
the global healthcare mainstream.

The facilitation of this meeting aligns
with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision. He has emphasised that such
initiatives help Ayush systems reach a maximum number of people globally in a
scientific manner. During his Mann Ki Baat address, the Prime
Minister noted that this standardised framework would enable Ayush systems to
achieve global recognition and scientific credibility. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha,
Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, had previously observed that a dedicated ICHI
module would facilitate global recognition of Ayush systems and support WHO’s
efforts for inclusive, safe, and evidence-based healthcare.

 The technical sessions were chaired
by Kavita Garg, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, who led the Indian team in
the development of National Health Intervention Codes for Ayurveda, Siddha, and
Unani medicine. Under her leadership, a distinguished team of experts
contributed to the initiative, including Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya (Director
General, CCRAS), Prof. N. J. Muthukumar (Director General, CCRS), and Dr.
Zaheer Ahmad (Director General, CCRUM).

Participants from all six WHO regions,
including AFRO, AMRO, EMRO, EURO, SEARO, and WPRO, ensured a comprehensive
global perspective on traditional medicine. Key representatives from WHO
Headquarters in Geneva, such as Robert Jakob, Nenad Kostanjsek, Stéphane
Espinosa, and Dr. Pradeep Dua, led the classification discussions. They were
joined by Dr. Geetha Krishnan from the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre
(GTMC) in Jamnagar and Dr. Pawan Kumar Godatwar from the WHO SEARO office in
Delhi. Member states including Bhutan, Brazil, India, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal,
Mauritius, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Philippines, the UK, and the USA
participated to appraise their country status and harmonise intervention
descriptions.