India to host ASEAN countries conference on traditional medicines on July 20

New Delhi [India], July 13 : The Ministry of Ayush is set to host the Conference on Traditional Medicines for ASEAN Countries on July 20, 2023.

The event will be held with support from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Mission to ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat.

The Conference aims to strengthen the platform between India and ASEAN countries to share their best practices and draw a roadmap for future cooperation in the field of traditional medicines.

A total of 75 participants - International delegates from eight ASEAN countries and two International delegates through virtual mode will brainstorm and share their ideas on traditional medicines during this one-day conference which will be held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

Addressing the Media at the curtain raiser event Thursday, Union Minister for Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal said, “The multi-dimensional relationship between India and ASEAN stands on a strong foundation of shared geographical, historical, and civilizational links which is far older that goes back to more than two millennia.”

Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the 12th ASEAN India Summit in Myanmar in November 2014, Sonowal said the PM enunciated ‘Act East Policy’, giving new momentum to the strategic partnership.

“The India ASEAN conference on Traditional Medicine being held after almost a decade is a major step towards deepening cooperation of India with ASEAN,” Sonowal added.

The Ayush sector has grown multi-fold in the past decade, when PM Modi elevated the then Department of Ayush under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to an independent Ministry of Ayush.

Today the Ministry is engaged with many top class International organizations from UK, the US, Japan, Brazil, Germany as well as national organizations of importance to undertake high quality research on Ayush systems in various Non Communicable disease conditions like Diabetes Mellitus, Cancer, Mental Health as well as infectious diseases like Covid.

The Ministry of Ayush has already established robust International Co-operation in Ayush to boost export of Ayush Products and services and has also successfully signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on ‘Cooperation in the field of Traditional Medicines’, ‘Setting up of Ayush Chairs in Foreign Universities/Institutes and for undertaking ‘Collaborative Research’ at various levels.