Three Karnataka companies, namely, The Himalaya Drug Company, Sami Lab and International Holistic Health Centre, headed by Dr. Issac Mathai, will make their presence felt at the 59th World Health Assembly which is being held at Geneva between May 22-26, 2006.

For the Geneva event, department of Ayush, ministry of health and family welfare along with representatives from the Indian System of Medicine industry will have an event which includes a presentation that highlights the Indian Systems of Medicine, its safety and efficacy.

The Indian delegation, which numbers around 100, will comprise in addition to the Ayush department officials, representatives from the herbal sector including The Himalaya Drug Company, Sami Labs, Dabur, Nagarajuna Ayurveda, Kairali, Himalaya Research Labs and Hamdard, to name a few.

The primary objective of the exposition on Indian System of Medicine is to promote and advocate the scientific approach, practical methodology and useful aspects of the system of medicine which includes ayurveda, homeopathy, siddha, unani and yoga.

This event will attract around 500 delegates which will include health ministers from each country and their department heads and companies.

The International Holistic Health Centre will be the lone healthcare provider for the event from India. IIHC's 'Soukya' treatment and therapy centre is a holistic health care facility headed by Dr. Issac Mathai. "On this platform at Geneva, we will scout for collaborations with other countries. Already Soukya has over 55 per cent of foreign patients flocking annually to its facility in Bangalore. The intention is to emphasize safe healthcare practices of ayurveda, unani, siddha, yoga and homeopathy in a holistic manner. Already Indian System of Medicine is a trend in the western countries and Middle East. We need to keep alive our traditional medical skills and knowledge," informed Dr. Mathai.

The World Health Assembly is the supreme decision-making body for WHO. It meets every year and is attended by delegations from all of WHO's 192- member states. This year, the Assembly will review the Proposed Programme Budget for 2006-2007. Other issues to be discussed include the revision of the International Health Regulations and a draft global immunization strategy.