AIIA hosts 'Working Group of C20 on Integrated Holistic Health' - an engagement group of G20

New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) Ayurveda is a science of life with a holistic approach to health and personalised medicine that is gaining popularity globally.

Taking forward the legacy of Ayurveda, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), the apex institute of Ayurveda in India is an Autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Ayush hosted a walkthrough on April 8 for the Working Group of C20 on Integrated Holistic Health.

A large group of over 400 delegates participated in the event and the institute showcased how an integrated approach in health care can be effectively implemented.

The C-20 is one of the eight official engagement groups of the G-20 forum. The 19 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, and the US that forms the C20 group.

C20 India 2023 is one of the official Engagement Groups of the G20 that provides a platform for Civil Society Organizations (CSO) around the world to voice the people's aspirations to the world leaders in G20.

Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women (for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships & United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women); Swami Amritaswaroopananda Puri, Vice-Chairman of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math and President of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University); Manoj Nesari, Adviser (Ay.), Ministry of Ayush, Govt of India; Adolpho Rubinstein, Former Health Minister of Argentina, Director of the Center for Implementation and Innovation in Health Policy. Founder and Director General of the Institute of Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS) and others were the delegates who visited AIIA.

The institute organised a walkthrough, where the delegates were taken to the hospital and highlighted how an integrated approach in health care can be effectively implemented for the well being of the humanity.

AIIA has signed an MoU with the University of Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham for cooperation and collaboration in the field of Research and Academics in Ayurveda.

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is a multi-campus, multi-disciplinary research academia university.

The MoU was signed by Prof. Tanuja Nesari, Director, AIIA, Ministry of Ayush and Prem Kumar Vasudevan Nair, the Provost, Medical Sciences at Kochi campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham. The MoU was signed in the presence of all the delegates and AIIA family members.

AIIA already has MoUs with the European Academy of Ayurveda, Bernstein, Germany; Western Sydney University, Australia; Graz Medical University, Austria; College of Medical, UK; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK an Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

On this occasion Prof (Dr) Tanuja Neasri, said: "We are happy to co-host C20 delegates at AIIA, a tertiary care set-up under the Ministry of Ayush. We are honoured to showcase the institute as a model of integration and holistic healthcare in Ayurveda. To help us realise the vision of health for all and holistic wellbeing, the strength of the Ayush system should be integrated into the mainstream healthcare."

"It is my pleasure to join you all at AIIA. The science of Ayurveda is India's gift to the world - it is India's knowledge, learning, tradition and culture. Through C20, the focus is again being driven towards holistic healing through an integration of Ayurveda with modern medicine. This is an innovative approach and will benefit everyone," said Dr Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary General UN & Deputy Executive Director, UN Women.

"Ayurveda is not just a physical science, it's a part of the Vedas. Compassion is the first and last step of life. I sincerely pray and wish that all doctors trained at AIIA have the inner capacity and potential to awaken the compassion, love and oneness within them to be able to treat their patients in a wholesome manner," said Swamiji Amritaswarupananda Puri, Vice-Chairman of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math and President of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Amrita.

AIIA launched millet calendar by the hands of Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary General UN & Deputy Executive Director UN women. On the occasion AIIA received the blessings of Swamiji, Shri Amritaswaroopanand Puri. A cultural programme followed by Patya Aahar was served to the guest on the occasion.