SCO's first International Conference, Expo on Traditional Medicine to be inaugurated by Sonowal

New Delhi [India], March 2 : Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate the first B2B Global Conference and Expo on Traditional Medicine under Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Guwahati on Thursday.
The B2B Conference and Expo on Traditional Medicine under SCO is scheduled to be held from March 2 to March 5, 2023, at Guwahati, Assam.
More than 150 delegates from 17 countries are likely to attend this first-of-its-kind four-day international summit.
Speaking at the curtain raiser press conference, Sonowal, said, "Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, India is leading in the strong revival of traditional medicine throughout the world. Today, it gives us immense pleasure to share that India is presiding over the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) - a prestigious intergovernmental organisation - this year."
"Under this mandate, we are organising SCO's first international conference and expo on traditional medicine at Guwahati. This is a unique opportunity for everyone involved in patient care and clinical excellence as experts from 17 countries come together to discuss the possibilities of traditional medicine for enriching the quality of human lives. As we move towards a vision of seamless interplay of modern medicine with traditional medicine for holistic patient care, this event is likely to play a pivotal role towards this direction."
The inaugural session today is likely to be attended by the Union Minister of State for Ayush and Women and Child Development, Mahendrabhai Munjpara; Union Minister of Health, Govt of Myanmar, Thet Khaing Win; Deputy Minister of Health, Govt of Maldives, Safiyya Mohamed Saeed and Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha among others.
The Conference and Expo will provide an opportunity for regulators, industries and business leaders in all the SCO and partner countries to deliberate on various aspects of Traditional Medicine aspects such as products, services, education, skill development, cosmetics, Herbal extracts and further deepen the trade and friendship among each other in the area of Traditional medicine and allied field.
A total of 75 foreign officials and business delegates from 13 countries have confirmed their participation in physical mode. Official delegates from China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan will be joining online.
Adding further, the Union Minister said, "The people of India are proud of their heritage - especially in the rich traditional medicine domain that has served humanity for thousands of years."
"Today, we have an opportunity, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, to further our heritage and be part of a movement to revive traditional medicine across the world for the betterment of the quality of human lives. As the world recovers from a pandemic, the crucial role played by traditional medicine in supporting patient care has been underlined. We need to take this advantage forward and this platform is the perfect opportunity to take it to the next level."
On the historic occasion when an international event of high repute is being organised at Guwahati in Assam, Sonowal said, "Northeast India has bloomed under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi ji in last 8 years. That, the region is recognised as the new engine of growth of India, is indeed a moment to rejoice and a point of reflection for everyone in the region. It is a proud moment for all of us that Guwahati is organising an international expo of this grandeur. It is a wonderful window of opportunity for the people of the region to become part of a movement to make India the greatest country in the world by 2047."
India assumed the Presidency of the SCO Council of Heads of State for the year 2023 on September 17, 2022, at Samarkand in Uzbekistan.
PM Modi at the SCO summit at Samarkand had remarked that India would take the initiative for a new SCO Expert Working Group on Traditional Medicine.