Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday welcomed WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Tedros arrived in India today to take part in WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine to be held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
PM Modi, in his post, referred to Tedros as 'Tulsi Bhai', a name that he had given to the Director-General during his last visit. In a video shared by Ministry of Ayush, Tedros could be seen performing Gujarat's traditional dance.
"My good friend Tulsi Bhai is clearly well prepared for Navratri! Welcome to India, @DrTedros!," PM Modi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The first WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit will take place on August 17 and 18 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. It will be held alongside the G20 health ministerial meeting, to mobilise political commitment and evidence-based action on traditional medicine, which is a first port of call for millions of people worldwide to address their health and well-being needs.
The Global Summit will be co-hosted by WHO and the Government of India, which holds the presidency of the G20 in 2023.
Last year, Dr Tedros was given the name Tulsi Bhai by PM Modi at the Global AYUSH & Innovation Summit in Mahatma Gandhi's birthplace in Gandhinagar. PM Modi said, “WHO Director-General Tedros is a good friend of mine. He told me whatever he is today, it is because of Indian teachers. He said he is proud to be associated with India. This morning he told me: 'I have become a pucca Gujarati. Have you decided a Gujarati name for me?'”
The Prime Minister announced, “As a Gujarati, I will call him Tulsi Bhai.”
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Tedros took to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) and said, "Delighted to be in India for the WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit, the Ministerial Meeting on Ending TB in @WHOSEARO and the G20 Health Ministers Meeting. Namaste India!"
The Global Summit will be a platform for all stakeholders, including traditional medicine workers, users and communities, national policymakers, international organizations, academics, private sector and civil society organisations, to share best practices and game-changing evidence, data and innovation on the contribution of traditional medicine to health and sustainable development.