CIF International Yoga Day Writes New Chapter in Integrated Medicine

CIF International Yoga Day Writes New Chapter in Integrated Medicine

Press Release

Toronto: Canada India Foundation (CIF) marked the 7th Anniversary of International Yoga Day on Sunday, June 20 with a virtual event that saw the participation of medical experts, diplomats, and policymakers from Canada and India. The theme chosen for the Day was Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation — an Integrated Approach. The long-felt need for bringing different medicine systems together to overcome the huge health challenges has resulted in the recently announced initiative between CIF and the University Health Network (UHN).

The two organizations have committed to creating a $1 million fund to support research in both modern medicine and ancient systems like Ayurveda to design a more sustainable action plan to deal with the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases.

Opening the International Yoga Day celebration virtual event, Satish Thakkar, Chair, noted, “This news that I am sharing with you makes this day a very special International Yoga Day for us. The discoveries that may follow in the coming years, we hope, will make the adoption of integrated medicine easier in the world. I thank the visionary leadership at UHN, India’s Ministry of Ayush, and the All-India Institute of Ayurveda for making it happen.”

Thakkar conveyed the appreciation of CIF to the supporters and participants at the Yoga Day celebrations before introducing Dr. V I Lakshmanan, the architect of the Canada India Health Summit (CIHS), to share his thoughts on the initiative started at the CIHS. “A journey has begun,” Dr. Lakshmanan stated. “Now it’s up to us to bring our experience, and knowledge and richness here and share them with the world for better outcomes in healthcare.”

Speaking on the hugely successful CIHS 2021, India’s High Commissioner to Canada, H.E. Ajay Bisaria, observed, “One of the most positive collaborations between India and Canada over the past few years has been in the health sector. When the pandemic hit, Canada had a critical need…