WHO and Ministry of Ayush Unveil International Classification Codes for Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani in ICD-11
In a significant development, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Ayush are set to introduce the Traditional Medicine Morbidity codes of Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 11, under Module 2. The launch event, scheduled for January 10, 2024, in New Delhi, will witness the presence of senior officials from WHO and representatives of member countries.
The inclusion of data and terminology related to diseases based on Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani systems in the ICD11 classification signifies a crucial step toward establishing global uniformity in Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha (ASU) medicine. The ICD series, developed by WHO, serves as an international classification for diseases, primarily based on healthcare practices rooted in modern biomedicine. However, the classification of data and terminology related to Ayush systems, including Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani, has been absent from the WHO ICD series until now.
The Director of Integrated Health Services at WHO Geneva joined officials at the Ministry of Ayush on January 9 to discuss the significance of including Traditional Medicine in ICD 11. The Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), an agency under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, plays a vital role as the WHO Collaboration Centre for ICD-related activities. The Ministry of Ayush, in collaboration with WHO, has developed a categorization of data and terminology related to Ayush systems, which will be included in the TM2 module of ICD11.
This collaborative effort is expected to enhance India’s public healthcare delivery system, research initiatives, Ayush insurance coverage, research and development, and policy-making systems. The codes developed will be instrumental in formulating future strategies to combat various diseases. The international coding under ICD-11 will include terminology, names, and data of prevalent diseases in Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani Medicine. The official release of ICD-11 is scheduled for January 10, 2024, in New Delhi, with the presence of officials from WHO and the Ministry of Ayush, marking a significant milestone in traditional medicine’s global recognition and classification.
