Ayush Minister to Inaugurate SCO’s 1st Int'l Conf & Expo on Traditional Medicine Tomorrow

"Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is leading in the strong revival of traditional medicine throughout the world," said Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush- Sarbananda Sonowal at the curtain raiser press conference.

“Today, we are delighted to announce that India will preside over the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a prestigious intergovernmental organisation, this year. We are organising the SCO's first international conference and expo on traditional medicine in Guwahati under this mandate. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone involved in patient care and clinical excellence, as experts from 17 countries gather to discuss the potential of traditional medicine in improving the quality of human life. This event is likely to play a pivotal role in moving us towards a vision of seamless interplay of modern medicine and traditional medicine for holistic patient care," he added.

The Union Minister of State for Ayush and Women and Child Development, Dr Mahendrabhai Munjpara, Union Minister of Health, Government of Myanmar, Dr Thet Khaing Win, Deputy Minister of Health, Government of Maldives, Safiyya Mohamed Saeed, and Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha are expected to attend the inaugural session tomorrow.

The SCO B2B Conference & Expo on Traditional Medicine is scheduled for March 2-5, 2023 in Guwahati, Assam. The Conference and Expo will provide an opportunity for regulators, industries, and business leaders from all SCO and partner countries to deliberate on various aspects of Traditional Medicine such as products, services, education, skill development, cosmetics, herbal extracts, and further deepen trade and friendship in the area of Traditional medicine and allied fields.

This event is attended by over 150 delegates from 16 countries, including India, and includes high-level delegates such as Health Ministers, official delegates, and foreign buyers from SCO and partner countries. In total, 75 foreign officials and business delegates from 13 countries have confirmed their physical participation. Officials from China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan will participate online.

Adding further, the Union Ayush Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, "The people of the India are proud of their heritage - especially in the rich traditional medicine domain that has served the humanity for thousands of years. Today, we have an opportunity, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary leadership, to advance our heritage and be a part of a global movement to revitalize traditional medicine for the betterment of human lives. As the world recovers from a pandemic, the critical role of traditional medicine in patient care has been highlighted. We need to capitalize on this advantage, and this platform provides the ideal opportunity to do so."

"The Northeast India has bloomed under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi ji in the last 8 years," Sarbananda Sonowal said on the historic occasion of an international event of high repute being held in Guwahati, Assam. That the region has been identified as India's new growth engine is cause for celebration and reflection for everyone in the region. Guwahati hosting an international expo of this magnitude is a proud moment for all of us. It's a fantastic opportunity for the people of the region to join a movement to make India the greatest country in the world by 2047."

On September 17, 2022, India assumed the SCO Council of Heads of State Presidency for 2023 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. At the SCO summit in Samarkand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India would take the initiative to establish a new SCO Expert Working Group on Traditional Medicine.

The Ministry of Ayush has worked on various initiatives under the SCO's mandate. On February of this year, a virtual conference of traditional medicine experts and practitioners was attended by SCO's experts from his 25 countries. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, an expert meeting in New Delhi approved a mandate for a traditional medicine expert working group last month.

The B2B conference will bring together SCO and partner countries on regulatory frameworks for traditional medicines and practices, including pharmacopoeia, quality assurance and research, herbal extracts, Nutraceuticals, etc., from manufacturers and suppliers of SCO and partner countries and government intervention to promote those traditional medicine medicines.

Sessions such as "Know your Buyer" and "B2B Meetings" are also planned to discuss specific products, import and export opportunities, and deeper commercial partnerships with improved market access in all his SCO member countries. More than 150 delegates from 17 countries are expected to attend this first of its kind four-day international summit.