The 16th Annual Meeting of the World Health Organization – International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (WHO–IRCH) is being held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 14th to 16th October 2025.

The event brings together global regulatory authorities and experts to strengthen international cooperation and harmonisation in the regulation of herbal medicines.

India made a significant contribution to the meeting, with an active delegation led by Dr. Raghu Arackal, Advisor (Ayurveda) and Deputy Director General (I/c), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. The delegation played a key role in the technical sessions held on the second day of the event.

Dr. Raghu Arackal presented the Workshop Report on “Efficacy and Intended Use of Herbal Medicines (Working Group-3)”, highlighting India’s evolving regulatory framework and evidence-based policy initiatives in traditional medicine.

Dr. Raman Mohan Singh, Director, Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy (PCIM&H), presented the Workshop Report on “Safety and Regulation of Herbal Medicines (Working Group-1)”, and delivered a separate presentation on “Safety and Regulation of Herbal Medicines – Indian Perspective.”