New Delhi: In a transformative step toward elevating the global stature of India’s traditional medicine systems, the Ministry of AYUSH and the World Health Organization (WHO) signed a landmark agreement on May 24, 2025. This historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) marks the initiation of a dedicated Traditional Medicine module under the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), a move poised to integrate Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, and Siddha (collectively known as AYUSH) into the global healthcare framework. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the accessibility, credibility, and scientific standardization of these ancient Indian healing systems, ensuring they reach millions worldwide in a structured and evidence-based manner.
A Milestone for AYUSH: Prime Minister Modi’s Vision
During the 122nd episode of his monthly radio program, Mann Ki Baat, on May 25, 2025, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi celebrated this monumental achievement. He emphasized the agreement’s potential to propel AYUSH systems onto the global stage. “Friends, something has happened in the field of Ayurveda as well, which you will be very happy to know about. Just yesterday, i.e., on 24th May, an MoU was signed in the presence of WHO Director General and my friend Tulsi Bhai,” the Prime Minister announced. “Along with this agreement, work has started on a dedicated traditional medicine module under the International Classification of Health Interventions. This initiative will help in making AYUSH reach the maximum number of people across the world in a scientific manner.”
The Prime Minister’s remarks underscore India’s vision to integrate its rich heritage of traditional wisdom into modern healthcare systems while ensuring scientific validation and global accessibility. This agreement aligns with India’s broader goal of promoting affordable, accessible, and trusted healthcare solutions rooted in its cultural legacy.
Understanding ICHI and Its Role in Healthcare
The International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) is a globally recognized tool developed by the WHO and the WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC). It serves as a standardized framework for documenting, reporting, and analyzing health interventions across various sectors, including acute care, mental health, primary care, rehabilitation, prevention, public health, and now, traditional medicine. ICHI defines a health intervention as “an act performed for, with, or on behalf of a person or a population whose purpose is to assess, improve, maintain, promote, or modify health, functioning, or health conditions.”
By incorporating a dedicated Traditional Medicine module (TM-2) under ICHI, the agreement ensures that therapies from Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha, and Unani—such as Panchakarma, Yoga therapy, Unani regimens, and Siddha procedures—are codified in globally standardized, scientifically recognized terms. This step complements the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which is the international standard for recording, reporting, and analyzing mortality and morbidity data.
ICD-11: A Digital Leap in Global Health Classification
Adopted by the 72nd World Health Assembly in 2019 and effective from January 1, 2022, ICD-11 is the first fully electronic classification system, offering complete digital accessibility and integration. With 17,000 diagnostic categories and over 100,000 medical diagnostic codes, ICD-11 enables countries to identify and prioritize pressing health issues using a clinically relevant and up-to-date framework. The integration of ICHI’s Traditional Medicine module with ICD-11 creates a robust system for documenting both diseases and their corresponding interventions, ensuring that AYUSH systems are seamlessly embedded into global health data frameworks.
Benefits of the Traditional Medicine Module
The inclusion of a Traditional Medicine module under ICHI brings a multitude of benefits, revolutionizing how AYUSH systems are perceived and utilized worldwide. These benefits include:
- Transparent Billing and Fair Pricing: By standardizing AYUSH therapies under ICHI, healthcare providers can ensure transparent billing practices, making treatments more affordable and accessible. This standardization fosters trust among patients and healthcare systems alike.
- Integration with Health Insurance: The global recognition of AYUSH interventions facilitates their inclusion in health insurance coverage, enabling patients to access these therapies without financial barriers.
- Enhanced Hospital Management and Clinical Documentation: Standardized coding improves hospital management by streamlining clinical documentation, enabling better tracking of treatments, and enhancing the quality of healthcare delivery.
- Advancement in Health Research: The codification of AYUSH therapies supports evidence-based research, allowing researchers to study the efficacy and impact of traditional medicine on a global scale.
- Greater Global Accessibility: By aligning AYUSH with international standards, the module ensures that these systems are accessible to a broader global audience, promoting their adoption in diverse healthcare settings.
These benefits collectively position AYUSH as a credible, evidence-based, and policy-recognized component of global healthcare systems, paving the way for affordable and trusted healthcare solutions rooted in India’s traditional knowledge.
WHO’s Commitment and India’s Contribution
The agreement was warmly welcomed by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who highlighted India’s significant contribution to global health. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Dr. Tedros stated, “Pleased to sign an agreement for a $3 million contribution from #India to @WHO’s work on traditional medicine and the International Classification of Health Interventions, with @moAyush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha. We welcome ����’s continued commitment to #HealthForAll.”
This $3 million contribution underscores India’s dedication to advancing traditional medicine on a global scale. The collaboration with WHO, facilitated by the Ministry of AYUSH and its Secretary, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, reflects India’s leadership in promoting holistic and sustainable healthcare solutions.
AYUSH Systems: A Glimpse into India’s Traditional Medicine
The agreement covers four key AYUSH systems, each rooted in India’s rich cultural and medicinal heritage:
- Ayurveda: A traditional system of Indian medicine that emphasizes balance in bodily systems through diet, herbal remedies, and lifestyle practices such as Panchakarma.
- Yoga: A holistic practice combining physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation to promote physical and mental well-being.
- Siddha: A traditional Tamil medicine system that focuses on holistic healing through herbal treatments, diet, and lifestyle adjustments.
- Unani: A Greco-Arabic medical system that integrates herbal remedies, dietary practices, and therapeutic techniques to restore health.
By codifying these systems under ICHI, the agreement ensures that their therapies are recognized and respected worldwide, fostering their integration into mainstream healthcare.
A Transformative Step for Global Healthcare
This agreement is more than a technical update to a classification system; it is a transformative milestone in global healthcare. By integrating AYUSH into the ICHI framework, India and WHO are paving the way for traditional medicine to become an evidence-based, policy-recognized, and integral part of healthcare systems worldwide. This initiative aligns with the global push for #HealthForAll, ensuring that affordable, accessible, and trusted healthcare solutions are available to diverse populations.
The combined impact of ICD-11 for disease classification and the ICHI Traditional Medicine module for interventions creates a comprehensive framework for documenting and analyzing health data. This synergy enhances the credibility of AYUSH systems, making them a viable option for addressing global health challenges.
India’s Vision for Traditional Medicine
India’s collaboration with WHO reflects its vision of blending traditional wisdom with modern scientific standards. By mainstreaming AYUSH systems, India is not only preserving its cultural heritage but also sharing its time-tested healing practices with the world. The agreement positions India as a global leader in traditional medicine, fostering international trust in Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha, and Unani.
The Ministry of AYUSH’s statement emphasized that this development is a step toward making AYUSH interventions globally accessible. By standardizing therapies like Panchakarma, Yoga therapy, Unani regimens, and Siddha procedures, the agreement ensures that these practices are recognized in scientific terms, enhancing their credibility and adoption.
Global Implications and Future Prospects
The WHO-AYUSH agreement has far-reaching implications for global healthcare. By providing a standardized framework for traditional medicine, it enables healthcare providers, insurers, and researchers to integrate AYUSH into their systems seamlessly. This initiative is expected to boost medical tourism in India, as patients worldwide seek authentic and standardized AYUSH treatments. It also opens doors for international collaborations in research, education, and healthcare delivery, further strengthening India’s position in the global health landscape.
As the world grapples with rising healthcare costs and the need for sustainable solutions, AYUSH systems offer a cost-effective and holistic approach to wellness. The ICHI Traditional Medicine module ensures that these systems are not only preserved but also elevated to meet modern healthcare demands.
Conclusion
The agreement between India’s Ministry of AYUSH and the World Health Organization, signed on May 24, 2025, marks a historic moment in the global recognition of traditional medicine. By introducing a dedicated Traditional Medicine module under ICHI, the collaboration ensures that Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha, and Unani systems are codified in globally standardized terms, enhancing their accessibility, credibility, and integration into mainstream healthcare. Backed by a $3 million contribution from India and celebrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this initiative reflects India’s commitment to sharing its traditional wisdom with the world. As AYUSH systems gain scientific validation and global acceptance, they are poised to transform healthcare, making it more affordable, accessible, and trusted for millions worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1.What is the India-WHO Agreement on Traditional Medicine signed on May 24, 2025?
The agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India’s Ministry of AYUSH and the World Health Organization (WHO) to integrate Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, and Siddha (AYUSH) systems into the global healthcare framework. Signed on May 24, 2025, it initiates a dedicated Traditional Medicine module (TM-2) under the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), standardizing AYUSH therapies like Panchakarma, Yoga therapy, Unani regimens, and Siddha procedures in globally recognized scientific terms.
2.How does the Traditional Medicine module under ICHI benefit AYUSH systems?
The ICHI module brings multiple benefits: transparent billing and fair pricing for AYUSH services, smoother integration into health insurance coverage, enhanced hospital management and clinical documentation, support for evidence-based health research, and greater global accessibility to AYUSH interventions. This ensures AYUSH systems are recognized as credible, policy-supported components of global healthcare.
3.What is the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI)?
ICHI is a WHO-developed tool for documenting and analyzing health interventions across sectors like acute care, mental health, primary care, rehabilitation, prevention, public health, and traditional medicine. It complements the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) by standardizing how treatments and interventions are recorded, ensuring consistency and scientific validation worldwide.
4.How does this agreement align with India’s vision for traditional medicine?
The agreement supports India’s goal of mainstreaming its traditional wisdom, including Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha, and Unani, into global healthcare. Backed by a $3 million contribution from India, it enhances the credibility and accessibility of AYUSH systems, fostering their adoption worldwide while preserving India’s cultural heritage, as emphasized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 122nd episode of Mann Ki Baat on May 25, 2025.
5.What role does ICD-11 play in this initiative?
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), effective since January 1, 2022, is a fully electronic system with 17,000 diagnostic categories and over 100,000 medical codes for recording mortality and morbidity data. The ICHI Traditional Medicine module complements ICD-11 by standardizing AYUSH interventions, creating a comprehensive framework for documenting diseases and treatments, thus integrating AYUSH into global health systems.
