India to Host WHO-IRCH Workshop on Herbal Medicine Safety and Regulations.

From 6 to 8 August 2025, India will host the prestigious WHO–International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH) Workshop in New Delhi/Ghaziabad. This global event, organized by the Ministry of AYUSH in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and supported by the Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H), aims to bolster regulatory capacity and ensure the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines.

      - The workshop will be inaugurated by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of the Ministry of AYUSH, and Dr. Kim Sungchol, Chairperson of WHO–IRCH. Representatives from countries including Bhutan, Brunei, Cuba, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Paraguay, Poland, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and Zimbabwe are expected to attend in person, while delegates from Brazil, Egypt, and the USA will join virtually.

      - Serving as an international platform, the workshop will foster global cooperation and technical exchange, with key agenda items including strengthening safety and efficacy mechanisms, advancing regulatory convergence, and empowering traditional medicine systems worldwide.

      - Deliberations will include reviews of WHO–IRCH Working Groups 1 and 3, which focus respectively on the safety, regulation, efficacy, and intended use of herbal medicines. Additional sessions will address pre-clinical research, regulatory frameworks, and safety case studies, featuring a spotlight on Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).

Main Point :-   (i) Participants will gain hands-on training in herbal drug identification, heavy metal analysis, and chemo-profiling techniques using HPTLC (High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography) at the PCIM&H laboratories. This practical exposure aims to strengthen quality control and pharmacovigilance in herbal medicine.

      (ii) The event will officially launch the Ayush Suraksha (Pharmacovigilance) Programme, aimed at enhancing the safety monitoring of traditional medicine products through robust pharmacovigilance practices.

(iii) Delegates will visit key Indian institutions, including PCIM&H, the National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM) in Ghaziabad, and the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi, to experience India’s integrative health ecosystem first-hand. The workshop is expected to significantly contribute to harmonizing global standards and integrating traditional medicine into mainstream public health systems.
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