President Murmu inaugurates an International Conference on Unani Day

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated a two-day International Conference on "Innovations in Unani Medicine for Integrative Health Solutions – A Way Forward" in New Delhi on 11 February 2025. 

The two-day International Conference to be held on the 11th and 12th of February 2025 has been organised on the occasion of Unani Day.

During the inauguration ceremony, Union Minister of State, Independent Charge, Ministry of Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav, Director General, Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, Dr. N Zaheer Ahmed was also present on the occasion.

About Unani Day 

In India, Unani Day is observed on 11th February every year to mark the birth anniversary of the eminent freedom fighter, Unani physician and educator, Hakim Ajmal Khan.

• The first Unani Day was observed on 11th February 2018. The day is observed to raise public awareness about the Unani System of Medicine.
• The Unani system is one of the oldest systems of medicine, based on the teachings of Hippocrates (Father of Medicine) in 460 BC and developed in ancient Greece. 
• Unani is derived from the word IONIAN which indicates its genesis in present-day Greece (Unan).
• The Unani medicine system was introduced in India by the Arabs. 
• The Unani medicine system is now considered an Indian system of medicine and is part of India’s national healthcare delivery system.

Who oragnised the International Conference?

• The International Conference is being organised by the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), Union Ministry of Ayush.

Aim and Participant of the International Conference 

The International Conference is being attended by delegates from India and abroad. Practitioners and experts in Unani medicine from the United States of America, Iran, South Africa, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates are participating in the Conference.

The Conference provides a platform for these experts to discuss the role of the Unani medicine system in the promotion of global health and well-being. 

They will discuss the latest advances in the Unani system of medicine and their utility in holistic health systems.

About the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM)

The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) was established in 1978 by the government of India as an apex organisation for research in the Unani medicine system.

It is an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Ayush.

Headquarters: New Delhi.

Director General: Dr. N Zaheer Ahmed

About Hakim Ajmal Khan

Hakim Ajmal Khan was born in 1864 and passed away in 1927.

• Hakim Ajmal Khan was born to a family which was the practitioner of Unani and Ayurveda.
• He established the Hindustani Dawakhana in Delhi in 1905 to manufacture Unani and Ayurvedic medicines. 
• He started the Unani Medical School for Women in 1908.
• On 13th February 1921, Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated the Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College in Delhi, established by Hakim Ajmal Khan.
• Ajmal Khan also played a prominent role in the freedom struggle and emerged as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity. 
• In 1921 he became the President of the Indian National Congress.