New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI) Ayurveda is recognised as a system of medicine in 16 countries including Hungary, Switzerland, Cuba and Brazil, the government said on Friday.

The other countries are Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Malaysia, Mauritius, Serbia and Tanzania.

Romania, Hungary, Latvia, Serbia and Slovenia are five countries of the European Union (EU) where ayurvedic practices are regulated, the government said.

In a written response to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal said Unani system is recognised in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bahrain, UAE and Tanzania while Siddha system is recognised in Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Sowa Rigpa system is recognised in Bhutan and Mongolia and homoeopathy system in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Oman, UAE, Russia and Tanzania. It is well regulated in Ghana, Chile, Colombia, Romania, Turkey, Ontario (Canada) and is integrated into National Health Policy in UK.

Ayush products are being exported to more than 100 foreign countries either as medicine or food supplement, Sonowal said.

"Ayurveda is recognised as system of medicine in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Malaysia, Mauritius, Hungary, Serbia, Tanzania, Switzerland, Cuba and Brazil," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)