India and Germany have discussed expanding cooperation in traditional and integrative medicine during the 3rd Joint Working Group Meeting on Alternative Medicine held in Berlin from November 18 to 20.
The meeting brought together officials from the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, and the Federal Ministry of Health of Germany to review progress and identify new areas of partnership. The discussions focused on three priorities — integration of traditional medicine into public healthcare systems, reimbursement mechanisms for patient access, and regulatory pathways for approval of therapies and products.
The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Ayush, Monalisha Dash, along with senior officials from the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), and other Ayush institutions. The German side was represented by officials from the Federal Ministry of Health, Charité University’s Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine, statutory health insurance organisations, and the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices.
As part of the engagements, the delegation visited Charité University to explore collaborative research and progress discussions on a proposed memorandum of understanding. The team also met officials at Community Hospital Havelhöhe and the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) to understand insurance and reimbursement structures relevant to alternative medicine.
According to the Ministry of Ayush, the engagement supports India’s efforts to strengthen evidence-based traditional medicine and build global partnerships that enhance research, regulatory alignment and access to integrative healthcare.
The Ministry said that continued cooperation with Germany will contribute to wider recognition of Ayush practices internationally and support patient-centric healthcare solutions backed by safety and quality standards.