WHO unveils AI roadmap for traditional meds

NEW DELHI: Accepting India's proposal in this regard, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has prepared the first-ever roadmap for use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in traditional medicine. The document titled 'Mapping the application of AI in traditional medicine' was released on Friday.

It mentions several initiatives taken by India to utilise AI and other digital tools for promotion of traditional systems of medicine.

These include creation of the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) to digitise text-based formulations of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and practices of Yoga and a project called Ayurgenomics that aims to blend Ayurvedic principles with modern genomics.

Ayush secretary Rajesh Kotecha said India had proposed the formation of an AI-in-Traditional-Medicine in the Global Initiative in AI for Health (GI-AI4H), which was accepted by partner nations. "Now, we are actively working with international bodies to set global AI standards for traditional medicine," he said. The WHO technical brief provides a forward-looking roadmap for AI-enabled research, diagnostics, and personalised treatment pathways in the traditional medicine sector.

Kotecha said that based on this roadmap, the ministry of Ayush is developing indigenous AI chatbots to support practitioners and patients, thereby accelerating the modernisation and global reach of traditional medicine.

Union minister of state (IC), ministry of Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav said the recognition of India's AI-driven initiatives in the WHO's technical brief is a testament to the dedication of the country's scientists to advancing traditional medicine by integrating it with the latest technology. One of the standout features of the WHO brief is Ayurgenomics, a scientific breakthrough that combines genomics with Ayurvedic principles. This initiative aims to identify predictive disease markers and personalise health recommendations by using AI-based analysis of Ayurvedic constitution types.