'Ayurveda Can Become Important Part Of Holistic Healthcare System'

The traditional healing system of India Ayurveda is an important component of the healthcare system, and has the potential to become an affordable part of a holistic healthcare system, said Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Vice President.

Speaking at an event of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth, Ansari said, "Ayurvedic medicine still remains an important component of our healthcare system. It is a traditional healing system of India, going back at least to the Vedic times."

He further said that it needs to be seen as not just a system of disease treatment but a system of positive health for disease prevention and balanced lifestyle.

Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth is an institution in Ayurvedic medicine.

The vice president said that with proper development and study of the traditional methods and substance using the tools available to us now from modern science, the traditional medical systems, including Ayurveda, can become an important and affordable part of a holistic healthcare system.

In his speech, Ansari said, According to World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, because of lack of access to modern medicine, and cultural reasons, about 65-80 percent of the world's population depends essentially on traditional medical systems for primary health care.

A recent study estimated that more than 90 percent of the our population, particularly in rural areas, use some form of Ayurvedic therapy, including following its dietary principles, practicing traditional or ‘house-hold remedies’ or seeking professional help from trained Ayurvedic practitioners.

Ansari concluded his speech by saying there is a need for strategic partnering involving Ayurvedic medical experts, Ayurvedic pharmacy experts, botanical authorities across India, agricultural and environmental experts, drug discovery experts, medicinal chemists, clinical trial experts, large pharmaceutical companies, major universities as well as relevant governmental agencies and ministries.

With the application of modern scientific methods to the ancient knowledge system, we can have the best of both the worlds, he added.