Health Ministry advocates use of AYUSH Medicine in fight against Dengue and Malaria
With
vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria surfacing again this
season, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has directed
states to use the expertise of the department of AYUSH-Ayurveda, Yoga,
Naturopathy and Unani to check their spread.
Union
Health Minister Dr.Harsh Vardhan, who has long been an advocate of
alternative medicine, is looking closely at the potential for
unconventional systems of medicines in controlling vector-borne
diseases.
The
ministry has already issued advisories for prevention and control of
dengue, malaria and other vector-borne diseases under the Directorate of
National Vector-Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP) to all
states.
The minister recently said in Parliament that states should use the expertise of Ayush doctors for malaria control programme.
"The
Central Council for Research in Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Unani under
Department of Ayush has also patented and commercialised an antimalarial
drug AYUSH 64," said Dr Harsh Vardhan. According
to sources, Ayush doctors will be trained on early diagnosis and
complete treatment and will be provided with necessary diagnostic tools
and anti-malarials for treatment of uncomplicated malaria cases.
The
government recently appointed 11,478 Ayush doctors and 15,924
paramedics, including Ayush paramedics, on contract to fill in critical
gaps under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). According
to a recent research by National Institute of Malaria Research,
published in the latest issue of Malaria Journal, natural products
isolated from plants used in traditional medicine with potent
anti-plasmodial action (anti malarial) represent potential sources of
new anti-malarial drugs.
"The main cause of the worsening malaria situation in recent years has
been the spread of drug-resistant parasites. This has led to rising
malaria-associated mortality. Anti-malarial drug resistance has emerged
as one of the greatest challenges facing malaria control today," the
study said. "The government would ensure that traditional medicines, manufactured
in India under trademark of Ayurveda, Unani and the like, would have to
conform to the prescriptions provided under the WHO," said Nilanjan
Sanyal, Secretary, Department of Ayush, Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare.
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