AYUSH and WHO strike deal to globalize traditional medicine — but will it deliver?

On May 24, 2025, the Ministry of Ayush and the World Health Organization (WHO) inked an agreement that could reshape the global healthcare landscape for traditional medicine systems. The deal kicks off the development of a dedicated Traditional Medicine module under the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 122nd Mann Ki Baat address, framed the development as a milestone. “Friends, something has happened in the field of Ayurveda as well, which you will be very happy to know about,” he said. “Just yesterday, i.e., on 24th May, an MoU was signed in the presence of WHO Director-General and my friend Tulsi Bhai. 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 maximum number of people across the world in a scientific manner.”

The ICHI module complements WHO’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which already catalogs diseases globally. But this new addition aims to “document what treatments and health interventions are administered,” expanding recognition to therapies from Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha, and Unani systems — including Panchakarma, Yoga therapy, and Siddha procedures — in “globally standardized terms.”

At face value, this sounds promising: transparent billing, smoother insurance integration, improved hospital management, and more accessible Ayush interventions worldwide. As the government puts it, it’s a “transformative step toward affordable, accessible, and trusted healthcare through India’s traditional systems.”

Yet, questions remain. How soon will these standards translate into real access for millions who currently rely on these systems? How robust is the scientific backing behind integrating these diverse therapies within an evidence-based framework? And how will global health bodies reconcile traditional medicine’s holistic approaches with conventional biomedical standards?

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the agreement on social media, highlighting a $3 million contribution from India to WHO’s work on traditional medicine and ICHI. “We welcome India’s continued commitment to #HealthForAll,” he tweeted.

The combined influence of ICD-11 and this new ICHI module “will ensure that Ayush becomes an integral, evidence-based, and policy-recognized part of global healthcare systems,” the Ministry claims.

But beyond the official rhetoric, this move also signals India’s strategic push to globalize its traditional knowledge systems—efforts that have often struggled with questions of scientific validation, regulation, and global acceptance.

Whether this agreement will be the game-changer it promises or just another bureaucratic step remains to be seen. For now, it is clear that the world is watching as India seeks to place Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha, and Unani firmly on the international healthcare map.

MT