In a major step towards the global integration of traditional healthcare, the World Health Organisation (WHO) organised a two-day Technical Project Meeting on Traditional Medicine (TM) intervention code set development in Delhi recently. The initiative was driven by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Donor Agreement signed between the Ministry of AYUSH and WHO on 24 May, 2025.

This agreement serves as the cornerstone for developing a dedicated TM module within the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), the international global standard for classifying healthcare interventions, with India facilitating both the financial and technical frameworks necessary to bring Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani (ASU) systems into the global healthcare mainstream.

The facilitation of this meeting aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has emphasised that such initiatives help Ayush systems reach a maximum number of people globally in a scientific manner. During his Mann Ki Baat address, he noted that this standardised framework would enable AYUSH systems to achieve global recognition and scientific credibility.

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, had previously observed that a dedicated ICHI module would facilitate global recognition of AYUSH systems and support WHO’s efforts for inclusive, safe and evidence-based healthcare.

The technical sessions were chaired by Kavita Garg, Joint Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, who led the Indian team in the development of National Health Intervention Codes for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicine. Under her leadership, a team of experts contributed to the initiative, including Prof Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS; Prof NJ Muthukumar, Director General, CCRS and Dr Zaheer Ahmad, Director General, CCRUM.

The meeting saw extensive participation from all six WHO regions, including AFRO, AMRO, EMRO, EURO, SEARO and WPRO, ensuring a global perspective on TM. Key representatives from WHO headquarters in Geneva, such as Robert Jakob, Nenad Kostanjsek, Stéphane Espinosa and Dr Pradeep Dua, led the classification discussions. They were joined by Dr Geetha Krishnan from the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar and Dr Pawan Kumar Godatwar from the WHO SEARO office in Delhi.

Member states including Bhutan, Brazil, India, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal, Mauritius, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Philippines, the UK and the USA participated to appraise their country status and harmonise intervention descriptions.

The integration of TM into ICHI is vital because intervention coding provides a common language for health procedures across different countries and medical systems. By standardising these codes, healthcare providers can better document, report and analyse the frequency and efficacy of traditional treatments.

The project will be undertaken by WHO with strict timelines, adopting a scientific approach. It will not only aid in clinical research and policy support, but also pave the way for scaling up TM within national health information systems globally.