What is AYUSH? What is its objective?
AYUSH – Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy
AYUSH signifies a combination of alternative system of Medicine, which was earlier known as Indian System of Medicine.
The objective of AYUSH is to promote medical pluralism and to introduce strategies for mainstreaming the indigenous systems of medicine.
In which states are AYUSH more widely practised?
Ayurveda is more prevalent in the states of Kerala, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarkhand, Goa and Orissa.
The practice of Unani System could be seen in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan.
Homoeopathy is widely practiced in Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Gujarat and the North Eastern States and the Siddha system is practiced in the areas of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala.
What is the Sowa Rigpa system of medicine? What is ‘Amchi’?
In September 2009 Sowa Rigpa system of medicine was also recognized as a traditional system of medicine. Sowa Rigpa, commonly known as ‘Amchi’ is one of the oldest surviving system of medicine in the world, popular in the Himalayan region of India.
In India this system is practiced in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Lahoul and Spiti (Himachal Pradesh) and Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir.
What is the status of AYUSH in the developed countries?
Most of the foreign countries including USA, Australia, European countries etc. have not recognized Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani, as systems of medicine, therefore practice of these systems and marketing of their products as medicines faces problems.
The medicines of these systems are generally manufactured in India as per the standards and Good Manufacturing Practices in accordance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules thereunder but are often exported by the industry to such countries as food supplements or dietary supplements because of non-fulfillment of the regulatory requirements of the importing countries.
AYUSH presents a huge opportunity to market low-cost, effective medicines to the World. Not only will this drastically reduce the healthcare costs across the World, it will help India build its soft power as Yoga has. It is necessary that the Central Govt identifies such drugs that are immensely (and definitely) effective and market it aggressively to the World. A rational approach in this direction is needed.
How have the talks between WHO and the Indian Government been progressing
On 14 May 2016, Government of India and the World Health Organization (WHO) signed a Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) for cooperation on promoting the quality, safety and effectiveness of service provision in traditional and complementary medicine. It aims to support WHO in the development and implementation of the ‘WHO Traditional and Complementary Medicine Strategy: 2014-2023’ and will contribute to the global promotion of traditional Indian Systems of Medicine.
The PCA for the period 2016-2020 is proposed to deliver for the first time WHO benchmark document for training in Yoga, and WHO benchmarks for practice in Ayurveda, Unani and Panchakarma. These will contribute significantly to the strengthening of national capacities in ensuring the quality, safety and effectiveness of traditional medicine including in establishing regulatory frameworks for traditional medicine products and practice and promote their integration in national healthcare systems.
What is the National AYUSH Mission?
National AYUSH Mission (NAM) launched on 15 September 2014 as part of 12th Plan envisages better access to AYUSH services through increase in number of AYUSH Hospitals and Dispensaries, ensuring availability of AYUSH drugs and trained manpower.
As on July 2015, there are a total of 543 Colleges of AYUSH functional in the country. Out of this, 281 are of Ayurveda, 191 of Homeopathy, 44 are Unani, 18 are of Naturopathy and 9 of Sidha.
Source:
1. Arthapedia