New Delhi, Oct 17 (IANS) The world needs Ayurveda’s timeless wisdom for preventive and sustainable healthcare, said Geraldo Alckmin, Vice President of Brazil.

Alckmin, who is on his official tour to India, visited the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, under the Ministry of Ayush.

Alckmin expressed deep appreciation for India’s leadership in promoting traditional and integrative health systems.

“Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old treasure of health and wisdom,” he said, while congratulating the AIIA for its “work in promoting health, treating diseases, and advancing education and research through a holistic approach”.

“The world needs Ayurveda’s timeless wisdom for preventive and sustainable healthcare,” he added.

Alckmin, who is also the Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services in Brazil, acknowledged the global relevance of Ayurveda, and expressed his desire to take Ayurvedic treatment for his back pain.

“Life expectancy is rising, and so is the demand for natural and preventive healthcare systems such as Ayurveda. If this were not a short visit, I would have surely taken the treatment for my back pain here at AIIA,” Alckmin said

Alckmin was accompanied by wife, Maria Lucia Alckmin, and a high-level delegation of 14 officials, including Kenneth Nobrega, Ambassador of Brazil to India, and Romison Rodrigues, Director of the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA), along with other senior representatives.

Welcoming the Vice President and his delegation, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush urged for greater collaboration between India and Brazil in the field of traditional medicine, integrative health research, and wellness industries.

The Vice President and his delegation were also given an overview of AIIA’s pioneering contributions in Ayurveda education, clinical services, and advanced research.

The visit reaffirmed the ongoing cooperation between the two nations through existing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) that promote academic exchange, joint research, and capacity building in traditional medicine.

AIIA currently has research and academic collaborations with reputed institutions in Brazil, with MoUs signed between the AIIA and Brazil’s Sri Vajera Foundation and Associated Institutions; between AIIA and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), and the Brazilian Academic Consortium for Integrative Health (CABSIN), Brazil; and between AIIA, Future Vision Institute, and the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.

–IANS

rvt/