Agreement signed between India and WHO

The Union Ministry of AYUSH and the World Health Organization (WHO) on 13 May 2016 signed the Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) for cooperation on Global promotion of Traditional Systems of Medicine. The agreement was signed by Ajit M Sharan, Secretary of Union Ministry of AYUSH and, Dr Marie Kieny, Assistant Director General of Health Systems and Innovations at WHO in Geneva. Highlights of the Agreement • The PCA is titled as Co-operation on promoting the quality, safety and effectiveness of service provision in traditional and complementary medicine between WHO and AYUSH, India, 2016-2020. • It aims at promoting the quality, safety and effectiveness of service provision in traditional and complementary medicine. • It aims to support WHO in the development and implementation of the WHO Traditional and Complementary Medicine Strategy: 2014-2023. • It will deliver, for the first time, WHO benchmark document for training in Yoga, and WHO benchmarks for practice in Ayurveda, Unani and Panchakarma. Comment This Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) with WHO is a further recognition of India’s rich experience in the development and governance of traditional medicine. It will pave the way for India’s long-term collaboration with the WHO in fostering the global promotion and integration of AYUSH systems of medicine including through the inclusion of Ayurveda and Unani in the International Classification of diseases and the International Classification of Health interventions.