India-Germany Health Partnership: Boosting Traditional Medicine Amid Global Push

During the meeting, held in Berlin, Germany, from November 18 to November 20, the delegation focused on strengthening collaboration across three key areas -- integration of traditional medicine into public health systems, establishing reimbursement pathways to improve patient access, and enhancing regulatory frameworks for approvals and safety standards. Both nations reiterated their commitment to advancing evidence-based and people-centric traditional medicine practices.

The Indian delegation was led by Monalisha Dash, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Ayush, along with senior officials, including Prof (Dr) Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General of CCRAS; Dr Subhash Kaushik, Director General of CCRH; Dr Koustabha Upadhyay, Adviser at the Ministry of Ayush; and Dr Kashinath Samagandi, Director of MDNY.

Germany's delegation included senior officials such as Paul Zubeil, Head of Division for European and International Health Policy at the Federal Ministry of Health; Prof Dr Georg Seifert from the Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine at Charite Berlin; Andrea Galle, CEO of statutory health insurer BKK mkk; and Dr Jaqueline Wiesner of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM).

During the visit, the Indian team also held a series of high-level engagements with leading German healthcare and research institutions, which included discussions with the Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine at Charite University to advance collaborative research and the proposed MoU with the Ministry of Ayush.

At Berlin's Community Hospital Havelhohe, the delegation reviewed integrative care models and research practices in anthroposophic medicine. A detailed session with the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) focused on insurance and reimbursement mechanisms relevant to traditional and integrative medical treatments.

The Ministry of Ayush said the meeting reflects India's broader strategy to globalise Ayush systems, strengthen international partnerships, and build robust scientific frameworks for integrating traditional medicine into global health systems.

"Sustained collaboration with Germany will help accelerate research, regulatory harmonisation, and patient access to integrative healthcare solutions rooted in safety, quality, and scientific validation," the Ministry said.

- ANI