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The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the Indian government ministry charged with health policy in India. It is also responsible for all government programs relating to family planning in India.
The Minister of Health and Family Welfare holds cabinet rank as a member of the Council of Ministers. The current minister is Shri. Ghulam Nabi Azad,[1] who is assisted by a Minister of States for Health and Family Welfare, Shri. Dinesh Trivedi & Shri. S. Gandhiselvan.
The ministry is composed of three departments: the Department of Health, Department of Family Welfare, and Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH). It regularly publishes the Indian Pharmacopoeia since 1955 through Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) an autonomous body under the ministry for setting of standards for drugs, pharmaceuticals and healthcare devices and technologies in India. [2]
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The Department of Health deals with health care, including awareness campaigns, immunization campaigns, preventive medicine, and public health. Bodies under the administrative control of this department are:
The Department of Family Welfare (FW) is responsible for aspects relating to family welfare, especially in reproductive health, maternal health, pediatrics, information, education and communications; cooperation with NGOs and international aid groups; and rural health services. The Department of Family Welfare is responsible for:
The Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) deals with ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine), and other yoga, naturopathy, unani, siddha, and homoeopathy, and other alternative medicine systems.
The department was established in March 1995 as the Department of Indian Systems of Medicines and Homoeopathy (ISM&H).The department is charged with upholding educational standards in the Indian Systems of Medicines and Homoeopathy colleges, strengthening research, promoting the cultivation of medicinal plants used, and working on Pharmacopoeia standards. Bodies under the control of the Department of AYUSH are: