India is moving to set up an Ayush chair at South Africa’s Durban University of Technology (DUT), a step aimed at bringing traditional Indian medicine into health education and deepening academic ties between the two countries.
MoU signed, approval pending
Monal Das, Joint Secretary for International Cooperation at India’s Ministry of Ayush, said an MoU for the proposed chair has been signed. Putting it into practice, however, depends on approval from the South African government. Das spoke at a two-day conference in Durban, where she said the chair would support academic exchanges and help integrate Ayurveda and other Ayush systems into health education.
What is Ayush?
Ayush covers India’s traditional and complementary healthcare systems: Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
A growing global network
India has already set up Ayush chairs in Malaysia, Australia and Mauritius, and is pursuing similar projects in other countries. According to Das, these chairs introduce traditional Indian medicine to international health education, encourage collaboration between academics and help practitioners explore integrated approaches to patient care.
Standards, safety and regulation
Das called for mutual recognition of traditional medicine systems and pharmacopoeial standards between India and South Africa, saying this could improve the availability and practice of traditional medicines in both countries. On concerns about the safety, efficacy and quality of Ayurvedic medicines, she said India regulates medicines sold in its domestic market, and offered to help South Africa and other African countries develop their own regulatory frameworks. Research, preventive healthcare and trade in Ayush products and herbal medicines were named as further areas for India-Africa cooperation.
Ayush Information Cell in Durban
Separately, India’s Consul General in Durban, Nitin Subash Yeola, announced an Ayush Information Cell at the Indian consulate. It will support engagement on traditional medicine across Durban, KwaZulu-Natal and neighbouring provinces, and link South African stakeholders with Indian institutions.
Protecting indigenous knowledge
South African official Tandaza Shandu stressed that indigenous communities must benefit fairly from traditional knowledge, and that this knowledge should be protected from loss and commercial exploitation.
What to watch next
The key milestone is South African government approval of the chair. Observers will also watch for details on funding, the DUT programmes involved and how regulatory recognition between the two countries is handled.
