India Strengthens International Partnerships for Traditional Medicine Quality Assurance at WHO Forum

The 16th Annual Meeting of the World Health Organization - International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (WHO--IRCH) is being held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 14th to 16th October 2025. India is participating through a high-level delegation led by Dr. Raghu Arackal, Advisor (Ayurveda), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. The delegation's participation highlights India's leadership in advancing regulatory harmonisation and integration of traditional medicine systems within global health frameworks.

Key Takeaways:

India is participating in the 16th WHO--IRCH Annual Meeting with a high-level delegation led by Dr. Raghu Arackal, Advisor (Ayurveda), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India.
The delegation includes Dr. Raman Mohan Singh, Deputy Director General (I/c), Ayush, and Director, Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H), and Dr. Mahesh Dadhich, Chief Executive Officer, National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB).
India and Indonesia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Medicine Quality Assurance between the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (FDA) and the Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H), Ministry of Ayush, signed on 26th January 2025.
The MoU aims to enhance cooperation through capacity building, exchange of technical expertise, and harmonisation of quality assurance practices.
Dr. Raghu Arackal delivered a presentation on the status of herbal medicines in India, highlighting recent initiatives, policy developments, and international partnerships led by the Ministry of Ayush.
The Proceedings of the WHO--IRCH Workshop on "Safety and Regulation of Herbal Medicines" (Working Group-1) and "Efficacy and Intended Use of Herbal Medicines" (Working Group-3) were released on the opening day of the meeting.
The workshop was organised by the World Health Organization and hosted by the Ministry of Ayush with support from PCIM&H, held from 6th to 8th August 2025 in Ghaziabad, India.

Statistics:

16th WHO--IRCH Annual Meeting is being held from 14th to 16th October 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
26th January 2025: India and Indonesia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Medicine Quality Assurance.
6th to 8th August 2025: WHO--IRCH Workshop on "Safety and Regulation of Herbal Medicines" (Working Group-1) and "Efficacy and Intended Use of Herbal Medicines" (Working Group-3) was held in Ghaziabad, India.

Sources:

Press Information Bureau, Government of India