New Delhi: India has partnered with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to begin work on incorporating traditional medicine practices such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha and Unani into the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), marking a step towards formal global recognition of Ayush treatments.
The agreement, signed on 24 May between the Ministry of Ayush and WHO, aims to standardise documentation of traditional medicine interventions under a new module in the ICHI, a companion to the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).
Focus on Standardised Global Recognition
The inclusion of Ayush therapies in ICHI will bring traditional Indian treatments into alignment with internationally recognised health classification systems. The ICHI, which captures procedures and clinical interventions, will now also include practices like Panchakarma, Yoga therapy, Unani regimens and Siddha-based treatments.
The move is expected to improve clinical documentation, support evidence-based research, and enable smoother integration of Ayush services into public health systems globally. It will also make it easier to include Ayush procedures in insurance frameworks, improve hospital billing transparency, and assist policymakers in incorporating traditional practices into formal healthcare delivery systems.
Financial Support and Global Commitments
The agreement includes a financial commitment of three million dollars from India to support WHO’s work on traditional medicine and the development of the ICHI module. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged the partnership in a social media post, underlining India’s contribution to strengthening the global traditional medicine framework.
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