The Department of Ayush is organizing an exhibition to display strengths of Indian Systems of Medicine at the World Health Assembly meet in Geneva, Switzerland from May 17 to 22, 2004, with an endeavour to showcase and expose the credentials of ISM before the key decision makers in the field of health from various countries.

Products on display at the World Health Assembly venue will include Ayurvedic medicines/products, books on Ayurveda, research and development papers and research materials which are of interest to the visitors, mainly top level health related officials and ministers from more than 175 countries. Further, the department plans to display the strengths and achievements made by research councils and drug manufacturing houses of India who are exporting Ayurvedic products.

According to sources, the Department of Ayush plans to have a participation of 10 to 15 exporters of Ayurvedic medicines who could display their products with literature along with scientific data. The department is working out a scheme to share the cost of expenditure with the participating exporters wherein 25 per cent of the cost upto Rs. One lakh would be reimbursed to the participating companies/exporters.

The department would arrange to ensure space for exhibition of products and other materials, besides providing opportunities for the exporters to interact with the health policy makers from different parts of the world, said sources.

HIV/AIDS, avian influenza and human health, and the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health are some of the major topics for discussion at the forthcoming 57th World Health Assembly.