KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 (Bernama) — Malaysia and India are set to deepen their partnership in traditional medicine by integrating centuries-old healing practices with modern scientific innovation.
Co-hosted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Traditional Medicine Centre and India’s Ministry of Ayush, the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, held in New Delhi from Dec 17 to 19, provided a global platform for Malaysia and India to showcase their expanding cooperation.
Themed “Restoring Balance: The Science and Practice of Health and Well-being”, the summit opened on Dec 17, bringing together government ministers, scientists, indigenous leaders and traditional medicine practitioners from more than 100 countries.
In a statement, the High Commission of India in Kuala Lumpur said the India–Malaysia partnership had grown steadily through a series of institutional memoranda of understanding (MoUs), academic exchanges, capacity-building initiatives and high-level engagements, reflecting both countries’ shared commitment to strengthening integrative healthcare systems.
“As India and Malaysia continue to work closely in research, capacity building, knowledge sharing and regulatory cooperation, their partnership stands as a powerful example of how traditional medicine can inspire global health innovations.
“The 2025 Summit in New Delhi will provide an important platform for both nations to reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing holistic and evidence-based healthcare for the world,” it said.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Ayush and Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, said India and Malaysia were natural partners in advancing a science-based global movement on traditional medicine.
“As we host the WHO Global Summit in New Delhi, our joint work reflects a shared vision—combining traditional knowledge systems with modern innovation to deliver holistic, accessible and sustainable healthcare solutions for the world,” he said in a statement made available by the Indian High Commission here.
Under the revised MoU on Ayush cooperation, two Ayush experts — one each in Siddha and Ayurveda — have been deputed to Malaysia through India’s Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.
In addition, five officials, including Ayurveda and Siddha experts as well as therapists, have been nominated for deployment at a Malaysian hospital under the scheme.
Academic engagement has also deepened through the Ayush Chair MoU between the Institute for Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA) in Jamnagar and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) in Malaysia, where an Ayush Chair is currently functioning.
Malaysian students have also benefited from the Ayush Scholarship Scheme in 2016–17 and again in 2024–25.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Ayush is considering a three-month Certificate Course in Ayurveda Panchakarma Therapy, with two months at UTAR, Kampar, and one month at ITRA, Jamnagar, with batches scheduled for October–December 2025 and January–March 2026.
— BERNAMA