Panaji, Dec 8 (PTI) The 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) began in Goa on Thursday with a call for intense cooperation and networking in the country's most well-known traditional wellness system amid unprecedented governmental promotion.

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Strong awareness programmes and movements to boost the growth of herbal medicines can lend a fresh impetus to Ayurveda, which has been getting renewed focus since the formation of the Union Ministry of Ayush in 2014, speakers noted at the inaugural session of the event being held between December 8 and 11 in this coastal city.

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The event, being organised by the World Ayurveda Foundation, an initiative of Vijnana Bharati, with the support of the Union Ministry of Ayush and the Goa government, is being attended by close to 5,000 registered participants, including more than 400 delegates from 53 countries.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said WAC is being held at a time when Ayurveda is becoming increasingly popular overseas, adding it was "our duty to propagate the merits of this health system and enable further exploration of its benefits in a wider range within the sector".

Noting the heritage value of Ayurveda, Union Minister Shripad Yesso Naik said this system goes beyond mere treatment of diseases and is a branch of knowledge that gives an idea about the right ways of life.

It relies on the principle of customised medicine, often relying on optimal intake of drugs, the Union Minister of State for Tourism and Ports, Shipping and Waterways said at the opening session of the 9th WAC.

The Central government's budget outlay for traditional medicines, including Ayurveda, rose five times in the past eight years, during which manufacturing in sector went up by six times, Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of the Ministry of Ayush, said.

"When Ayush was set up in 2014, the amount earmarked for traditional wellness systems was Rs 691 crore. Today, it stands at Rs 3,600 crore. Similarly, a CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) study put the value of production in the sector at USD 3 billion, which went up to USD 18 billion," Kotecha added.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which gave the world its worst health scare in recent times, India found its traditional medicines were capable of resisting the new coronavirus, he said, adding "our Covid management efforts worked well, prompting as many as 90 per cent of the country's population to use alternative drugs".

Further, the coming up of Ayush's Global Centre for Traditional Medicines at Jamnagar in Gujarat in collaboration with the World Health Organisation integrates technological advancements and evidence-based research, earning India's alternative systems their pioneering UN recognition, he said.

"Within the country, this institution will enjoy a status on par with IITs (Indian Institute of Technologies), IIMs (Indian Institute of Managements) or AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences)," Kotecha said.

Among those who spoke at the inaugural ceremony were Punjab Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Medical Education and Research Chetan Singh Jouramajra, Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Ayush Daya Shankar Mishra, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, Vijnana Bharati Mentor Sunil Ambekar, Organising Secretary Praveen Ramadas and WAC Secretary-General Anup Thakkar.

(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)