5th World Ayurveda Congress & AROGYA Expo 2012
The World Ayurveda Foundation (WAF) is one of the major outcomes of the 4th World Ayurveda Congress. Initiated and mooted by Vijnana Bharati, the Foundation has the backing and blessings of the dignitaries and Ayurveda practitioners, from both within the country and overseas. This umbrella organization will focus on furthering the cause of Ayurveda, and popularizing it across the world.

As the first step WAF is organizing the fifth edition of the World Ayurveda Congress and AROGYA Expo with its theme as 'Enriching Public Health through Ayurveda'. Scheduled to be convened in Bhopal (Lal Parade Ground), Madhya Pradesh, from 9^th to 10^th December 2012, the Foundation looks forward to consolidating the momentum of this forum and providing a robust boost to the global popularity of Ayurveda and associated fields. With nearly half a million visitors and about 5000 delegates expected to attend this year, the Congress is reinforcing its identity as a global summit that brings together diverse stakeholders of Ayurveda on to a common, meaningful, and popular platform.

In the associated expo, Arogya 2012, the spotlight this year will be on traditional and tribal knowledge in health-care systems from India's rural and tribal communities, especially from Madhya Pradesh and the north-eastern states.

The Government of Madhya Pradesh and WAF invite all interested delegates to the academic and business sessions and to all associate events of the 5th WAC (detailed in the following pages).

'Enriching Public Health through Ayurveda'

Focal Theme of 5th WAC
Public Health is defined as the practice of improving and aiding the physiological wellness of community members through research, concentrated communication and specific programming. Some common public health indicators are birth rate, fertility rate, life expectancy, etc. In many of the developing and under-developed countries, these public health indicators present a poor picture.

Health profile
Public health in India is still finding its feet working out public-private partnerships. India recently scripted a huge success story of eliminating polio in early 2012. However, India is lagging behind, particularly in the maternal and infant health sphere. In 2009, there were 2.6 million still births, 57 infants out of every 1000 live births died, and 450 out of 100,000 women die giving birth. Over 50 million people are suffering from diabetes. India loses 3 persons every 2 minutes to tuberculosis. In 2004, Indians spent `846 billion on health-care. Life expectancy varies across continents, with Europe leading at nearly 80, whereas in Asia, it is around 70, and in Africa, about 55.

Role of Ayurveda
In ancient India, Ayurveda played an important role in the health of the society. In contemporary India, it is playing an active role in states that have good health indices such as Kerala. This is an attractive proposition, as it has been proved that Ayurveda can show results in a faster time frame and at a far less cost, taking into account factors such as the infrastructure, high input cost, and high cost of modern medical infrastructure.

WAC Agenda
The 5th WAC addresses the theme of 'Enriching Public Health through Ayurveda'. The Congress will not only dwell upon how health indices in India's poorer states such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh can be revitalized, but also on maintaining and enriching public health in states that traditionally perform well in health indices. It aspires to pitch the Indian experience as a model story for implementation and replication in countries with similar financial and infrastructural capabilities across the globe.

The Congress will cover all these aspects of Public Health through goal-oriented seminars in plenary and several of its parallel sessions. It will offer a converging stage to well-known researchers, academicians, public health experts, economists, physicians, scientists, and other thought leaders. Research papers on the subject from various institutions will also be presented for deliberations.