WHO affiliate to observe annual commemoration day in traditional medicine in India

New Delhi [India], December 16 (ANI/WAM): The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) main centre in India for traditional medicine is to observe the 10th January of every year from next year as “Ayush Medical Coding and Records Day”.

This was decided at the 10th World Ayurveda Congress in Dehradun, capital of Uttarakhand state, India.

Ayush is the acronym for the Indian ministry, which promotes a healthy lifestyle through traditional practices such as yoga and naturopathy as well as ancient Oriental medical systems, including ayurveda, unani, siddha and homoeopathy (Ayush).

The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush, has been tasked with the new annual observance on 10th January, the Indian government’s Press Information Bureau said in a press release.

The WHO’s main collaboration centre in India for “literary and fundamental research in traditional medicine” is the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH).

The CCRAS will work with the NIIMH on creating a “roadmap for capacity building and implementation of the international classification of health interventions in traditional medicine,” the press release said.

“These initiatives underscore the commitment of WHO Collaboration Centres, the CCRAS, the NIIMH and the Ministry of Ayush to advance the standardisation and global integration of ancient medical systems. They reinforced collaborative efforts between India and the WHO in promoting evidence-based traditional medicine,” it said.