The ICD (International Classification of Diseases) serves as a universal language, enabling healthcare professionals to exchange standardized information globally. Within the 11th revision, the traditional medicine module offers a set of diagnostic categories for systematically collecting and reporting information on traditional medicine conditions in a standardized and internationally comparable fashion.

The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the TM2 module of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 11 series in New Delhi on 10th January 2024. This module will include the data and terminology of diseases based on Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani (ASU) systems of medicine.

This effort will lead to global uniformity in ASU medicine as a code of vocabulary defining diseases. It will also strengthen and expand India’s public healthcare delivery system, research, Ayush insurance coverage, research and development, and policymaking systems. It will also help in the formulation of future strategies to control various diseases in the society.

The Ministry of Ayush has developed the Code for Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani Medicine through the National Ayush Morbidity and Standardized Electronic Portal (NAMSTE). The Ministry of Ayush has also signed a Donor Agreement with the WHO for the same. The Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) is an agency under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that serves as the WHO Collaboration Centre for ICD-related activities.

Example of ASU Disease Terminology: Infectious diseases like Malaria and lifestyle diseases like chronic insomnia are included in this classification. Ayurveda, Siddhas, and Unani, Vertigo Guidance Disorder (parent name), commonly recognized by the three traditional systems, as a nervous system disorder known in Ayurveda as ‘Bhramaha’ siddha as ‘Ajal Kirkrippu’ and in Unani as ‘Sadra-o-Dwar’.

History of the initiative

After numerous consultations spanning a decade, ICD-11 has successfully incorporated Module-1, encompassing traditional medicine conditions originating from ancient China, now widely utilized in China, Japan, Korea, and globally.

With approximately 17,000 distinct codes and over 120,000 codable terms, all now in digital format, the eleventh revision officially took effect in January 2022.

Utilizing ICD-11’s traditional medicine chapter with other sections on neoplasms, patient safety, and injuries can enhance adverse event reporting. This integration paves the way for incorporating traditional medicine into insurance coverage and reimbursement systems, aligning with the broader goals of the WHO concerning universal health coverage. Furthermore, it establishes connections between traditional medicine practices and the norms and standards of global conventional medicine.

The Ministry of Ayush actively supports the development of Module-2 for Ayurveda-related diagnostic systems. This initiative draws extensively from the practical implementation experience gained by the National Ayush Morbidity and Standardized Terminologies Electronic portal and the Ayush Health Information Management System, according to the Ministry.

This move by the PM Modi Govt. comes at a time when the Indian Traditional medicine is under attack by the left-liberal cabal. This shows even the field of medicine is not spared when it comes to politicization by the opposition. The most recent example is the ‘controversy’ of colouring the picture of Dhanwantari in the NMC was called out for being pseudoscientific. Many doctors on the social media, such as Dr. Abby Philips, known as @theliverdr on X have repeatedly called the Indian traditional medicinal system and other traditional medicinal systems as pseudoscientific. They claim that it damages a person’s health rather than healing them.

Bro the same hospital prescribed my Dalmation traditional Chinese medicine

A lot of Vets have found value of business in Ayurveda and Homeopathy and subjecting animals to these absolute nonsense

— TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr) December 10, 2023

Sorry I lost you at “Ayurveda is often considered scientific” – muting you. But please carry on showcasing your ignorance on medicine, absolute lack of scientific temperament and health illiteracy here.

— TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr) December 16, 2023

Today is the 8th Ayurveda Day in India.

Here is a gentle reminder:

1. Ayurveda is a pseudoscience.

2. Ayurvedic practice is based on obsolete and primal theories of Vata, Pita and Kapha “imbalances” causing diseases.

3. Ayurvedic practitioners cannot diagnose, nor treat any… pic.twitter.com/P2seS0x3D7

— TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr) November 10, 2023

However, when confronted by the medical practitioners of these systems, influencers like Dr. Abby Philips mute or block them with a demeaning comment without answering any questions raised by them. Despite such opposition, the AYUSH system of medicines has been growing in India rapidly and offers a viable alternative to patients who aren’t completely satisfied with the allopathic system of medicine.

With inputs from PIB

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Paving the way for academic collaboration in India’s traditional medicine systems, especially in the field of Ayurveda, between the two countries, the Ministry of Ayush on Wednesday entered into an agreement with Croatia on Wednesday.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and Croatia’s Kvarner Health Tourism Cluster. AIIA is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush.

The MoU with Croatia is a significant step towards bolstering India’s ties with other countries and promoting academic research, clinical and educational activities, medical education, training, and competency building.

Dr Manoj Nesari, Adviser-Ayurveda, Ministry of Ayush, signed the MoU on behalf of AIIA in the presence of Special Secretary Ayush, Shri Pramod Kumar Pathak and the Ambassador of India to Croatia, Shri Raj Shrivastava.

From the Croatian side, President of the Cluster, Assistant Professor Vladimir Mozetič, President of the Management Board of the Cluster, Irena PeršićŽivadinov, and members of the Management Board Prof. Sandra Janković, Sandra Martinčić and Anna Maria Librić attended the event.

A six-member delegation, led by Special SecretaryAyush Shri Pramod Kumar Pathak, were in Croatia to attend the first International Yoga and Ayurveda conference earlier this week.

The two sides will undertake academic activities in the field of Ayurveda in collaboration with the identified institutions. There will be close cooperation and collaboration on research, including study design and execution, developing evidence-based guidelines for integrating Ayurvedic principles and practices with modern medicine, conducting lectures, workshops, seminars and conferences, and other such activities on Ayurveda.

Both sides will also develop academic standards and courses in accordance with the needs of the institution, end users and stakeholders and develop Ayurvedic medical education guidelines for Ayurveda education in Croatia.

“This will promote academic research, clinical and educational activities, medical education, training, and competency building”, said Dr Manoj Nesari, Adviser-Ayurveda, Ministry of Ayush.

“Considering that one of the goals of the Cluster is to connect members with international partners for a more comprehensive offer of health and tourism products, but also to educate members of the Association, we believe that this business cooperation with the Indian Ministry opens a new opportunity to connect our 32 members with potential partners from India. In addition to improving the health and tourism offer in Kvarner, in this way we will work with new partners on education, training and building and strengthening competencies,” said Dr. Vladimir Mozetič.

(Published from PIB)

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The Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of AYUSH have decided to work together to set up an Export Promotion Council to boost AYUSH exports. The decision was taken recently in a joint review of AYUSH trade and industry by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Shri Shripad Naik, Minister of AYUSH.

It was also decided in the review that the entire AYUSH sector will work together to achieve price and quality competitiveness to boost AYUSH exports. The review was held through video conference on 4^th December 2020, which was attended by nearly 50 industry and trade leaders from the AYUSH Sector. More than 2000 stake-holders of the AYUSH Sector also attended the e-event through live streaming on virtual platforms.

Secretary AYUSH initiated the discussions with a presentation on the action taken on the recommendations of the previous meeting by the Ministry of AYUSH. He also briefed about the various other initiatives taken by the Ministry of AYUSH to mitigate the COVID19 situation and to promote AYUSH industry. He spoke about the emerging opportunities for promotion of AYUSH sector and listed a few hurdles that deserved attention.

In the open forum that followed, officials from Ministry of Commerce and Industry, RIS, BIS and Invest India and AYUSH industry representatives shared their thoughts. The efforts put in by the Ministry of AYUSH to take AYUSH- based solutions to the public in the wake of COVID19 came in praise from all.

Minister Shripad Naik highlighted the growing global interest in AYUSH- based solutions for disease resistance and treatment during the difficult times of the Covid -19 pandemic. He stated that trade and commerce in the AYUSH Sector needed to upscale quickly in order to meet the growing demands from India and abroad, and to serve the larger number of people who are now looking up to these systems for maintaining their health. He also recollected various steps taken by the Ministry during the pandemic to add protection to the people from the dreaded Corona virus. He told the participants that the AYUSH immunity protocols and the National Clinical Management Protocol for Covid 19 for Ayurveda and Yoga were timely interventions which provided relief to large sections of the population. The emerging evidence of a correlation between the low Covid -19 mortality rates and largescale adoption of AYUSH prophylactic solutions by the population is significant for the public health practice in the country.

Minister Piyush Goyal, praised the frontline role played by the AYUSH Sector in  the fight against Covid -19. The protection offered by the AYUSH systems to the common people during the pandemic time neutralised the scepticism that many people had about the efficacy of the medicines and products offered by these systems. The spurt in exports of AYUSH products in the recent months is a direct reflection of their growing popularity in many countries. The standardisation of the HS codes related to export will be considered on priority as a step to promote exports. He called upon the AYUSH Ministry to work in coordination with the Commerce and Finance Ministries to achieve this early. The Commerce Minister also advised the industry leaders to work simultaneously on the quality and pricing of their products, so that they become increasingly competitive in the global market. He supported the concept of an AYUSH Export Promotion Council and said that the Commerce Ministry would be happy to support the same. The continued support of Commerce Ministry would be available to the AYUSH Sector on all matters of trade promotion, and special meetings with the functionaries of the Ministry would be arranged as and when required, to discuss any important issue. Evolving appropriate standards which could win international recognition was another advice from the Commerce Minister. He also assured that AYUSH will figure appropriately in the “Brand India” activities being presently undertaken. He underlined the need for the industry and the Government to work together in various aspects of branding and promotion.

From the meeting it was decided that, Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Commerce and Industry will work together for establishing an AYUSH Export Promotion Council (AEPC). The proposed AEPC can be housed at Ministry of AYUSH and the standardisation of HS code for AYUSH will be expedited.

Ministry of AYUSH will also work in collaboration with Bureau of Indian standards to develop international standards for AYUSH products as well as services. Ministry of AYUSH and the AYUSH industry will identify best practices/ success stories and promote them amongst the public.

AYUSH industry will work on ensuring quality and standards of AYUSH products as well as to become price-competitive and will be part of Brand India activities.

(Published from PIB)

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23 of the 25 prisoners have been cured of Covid-19 after being treated with Siddha medicines, while the other two are on their way to recovery.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala, have been using Ayurvedic and Siddha medicines to treat Covid-19 patients. Tamil Nadu government allowed doctor’s to treat the prisoners with Siddha medicines, a traditional method indigenous to the state.

The state government had started to test the efficacy of Siddha Medicine to tackle COVID after it found positive results. A team was set up for this with state director — Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy — S Ganesh, National Institute of Siddha director R Meena Kumari, Siddha specialist doctors Jayaprakash Narayanan, K Veerababu besides others.

A medical team headed by Veerababu treated the prisoners. The 25 prisoners were given Kabasura Kudineer – a Siddha formulation officially allowed by the Tamil Nadu government, herbal tea, and sunbath for a week.

Tamilnadu from now on will give the choice of which system of treatment the patient wishes to undergo (Siddha or Allopathy) as both have been found working.

So far, Tamil Nadu has reported 42,687 coronavirus positive cases with 397 deaths. Of these, Chennai alone accounts for 30,444 cases with 316 deaths.

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Over 20 companies including consumer goods companies such as Hamdard Laboratories, Dabur and Sri Sri Tattva have started Ayurvedic, Homeopathic and Unani medicine clinical trials for production of COVID-19 immunity booster therapies.

This comes in the backdrop of  AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) inviting scientific proposals on therapies and procedures that could restrain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic using the Indian system of medicines.

Results from these trials are expected to be announced in two months. AYUSH had earlier called for proposal based on Prime Minister’s advice to work for scientific evidence-based solutions and to enlist various suggestions and proposals from AYUSH practitioners and institutions.

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