The Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, organized a high-level review meeting and consultative discussions on May 25–26, 2026, in online mode
Focus on development of International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) and National Health Intervention Codes (NHIC) for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani (ASU) systems of medicine
Initiative follows Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Donor Agreement between Ministry of Ayush and World Health Organization (WHO)
Objective: develop globally standardized and scientifically robust coding vocabulary for ASU clinical interventions
Expected outcomes: enable cross-border data exchange, strengthen clinical research, support global health system interoperability including insurance integration
Meeting chaired by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush
Inaugural session included welcome remarks by Dr. N. Srikanth, Deputy Director General, Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS)
Introductory remarks by Dr. Kavita Jain, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ayush
WHO representatives included Dr. Pawan Godatwar, Technical Officer, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) and Dr. Geetha Krishnan, Unit Head, GTMC Jamnagar
Technical presentations on four-level hierarchical coding directories made by:
Ayurveda (NHICA): Presented by Prof. Vaidya Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS
Siddha (NHICS): Presented by Prof. Dr. N. J. Muthukumar, Director General, CCRS
Unani (NHICUM): Presented by Dr. N. Zaheer Ahmed, Director General, CCRUM
International experts from WHO Data Standards and Informatics team including Dr. Nenad Kostanjsek, Technical Officer, WHO participated
Two-day meeting included separate breakout sessions for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems
Approximately 30 scientists from three Research Councils participated
Faculty members from various Ayush National Institutes including ITRA, AIIA, NIUM and other reputed institutions participated
Finalized framework will form basis for upcoming WHO-ICHI ASU Alpha Draft editorial workshop scheduled for July 2026
