During an important interaction with G20 engagement groups in New Delhi, the stakeholders expressed a clear and emphatic view: the Government of India's efforts have brought traditional medicine to the forefront of G20 discussions on health, and G20 will acknowledge the potential role of traditional medicine in addressing health challenges.

Amitabh Kant, Sherpa G20 Secretary, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Lav Agarwal, Abhay Thakur, and other eminent participants participated in an interactive meeting.

In his address, Amitabh Kant said -

“I greatly appreciate the Ministry of Ayush for being at the forefront of actively collaborating with all engagement and working groups. We need to amplify the importance of Ayush practices in achieving holistic health and wellbeing.”

He emphasized that "Traditional Medicine" holds significant importance as it has been an integral health resource in India for centuries. There is a pressing need to amplify Ayush practices to achieve holistic health and wellbeing. He also pointed out that the World Health Organization has established a dedicated WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (WHO GCTM) in India, which will actively harness the power of traditional medicine.

Lav Agarwal said -

“The world is talking about the concept of integrative health or holistic health in terms of approaching all the health challenges. We have been working in partnership, coordinating among G20 countries,and all have a clear view in terms of acceptance of the role traditional medicine plays in health sector”.

Experts and senior officials shared experiences, suggesting the health declaration may acknowledge traditional medicine's potential role in addressing health issues.

Kotecha praised engagement and working groups for their valuable contributions to traditional medicine during India's G20 presidency. The main objective was to showcase the Ministry of Ayush's contributions, and traditional medicine received effective highlighting in health working group meetings. The Ministry appreciates these commendable efforts.

While addressing the gathering, Rahul Sharma, JS, Ministry of Ayush, emphasized the Ministry's active role in fostering dialogue around traditional medicine with various engagements and working groups of the G20. He stated -

"As the leaders of the world's major economies convene for the G20 summit, it is imperative to contemplate the pivotal role traditional medicine can play in global social wellness, and contribute to advancing medical knowledge and developing new Treatments."

Dr. Bhavana Prasher, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-IGIB, highlighted Ayush's engagement with various G20 engagement groups, including Think20, Science20, Startup20, Civil20, Women20, Youth20, and Agriculture20. The chairs of these respective engagement groups, operating under India's G20 presidency, discussed their coordinated efforts to utilize the G20 platform in projecting India as a driving force behind global traditional medicine and proposed recommendations to achieve this vision.