‘Ayush’ refers to the traditional & non-conventional systems of health care and healing comprising Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) envisages expanding the utilization of herbs and materials such as equipment, instruments, yoga accessories, etc. to formulate Indian Standards compatible with International Standards.
1. Introduction to Ayush systems: The Ayush systems are unique in following a personalized holistic approach to maintaining health and treating the diseased.
Ayurveda the science of life is one of the oldest medical systems integrating the concepts of both health and disease to achieve homeostasis of the body, mind, and spirit- as a holistic approach. The twofold objectives of Ayurveda are, maintaining the health of the healthy and treating the ailing mankind. Ayurveda primarily guides the prevention of disease, promotion and preservation of health through diet, lifestyle and other interventions.
Yoga is an art and science for healthy and harmonious living. It is known for disease prevention, health promotion and management of lifestyle-related disorders. The practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with universal consciousness. The eightfold components of Yoga advocate certain restraints and observances which have the potential to improve physical health and induce tranquillity of mind. The study and practice of Yoga incorporates mindful breathing techniques, focused concentration, meditation and self-reflection.
Naturopathy is the science of health and healing. It is a drug-less system of medicine that advocates harmonious living with constructive principles of Nature on physical, mental, moral and spiritual planes. It has health promotive, health restorative, disease preventive and curative potential. According to Naturopathy, the primary cause of the disease is a violation of Nature’s laws which leads to decreased vitality, impaired body constituents and accumulation of toxins in the body.
Unani system of medicine emphasizes the use of naturally occurring substances, mostly herbal but also some medicines of animal, marine and mineral origin. It is based on the humoral theory i.e. the presence of blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile in every person. The temperament of a person can accordingly be Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric and Melancholic, depending on the presence and combination of the Humour. The treatment consists of four components, namely, Preventive, Promotive, Curative and Rehabilitative. Any change in the quantity and quality of the humour brings about a change in the status of the health of the human body.
Siddha system of Medicine deals with the patient, environment, age, sex, race, habits, mental framework, habitat, diet, appetite, physical condition and the physiological constitution of the diseases for treatment. Diagnosis of diseases is done through examination of pulse, urine, eyes, voice, body colour, tongue and status of the digestion of the individual.
Sowa-rigpa means ‘knowledge of healing’. Sowa Rigpa mainly emphasises maintaining a healthy balance on both the physical and mental levels. The diagnosis in this system is supplemented with pulse examination and done by observation, palpation and questioning. The Sowa-rigpa system utilizes various forms of treatment such as medicinal plants, medicinal bath, vein puncturing, moxibustion, and massage depending on the nature and severity of the ailment.
Homoeopathy is a method of treating diseases by administering drugs that are proven to produce similar symptoms in healthy human beings. Treatment in Homoeopathy focuses on an individual’s response to a specific environment. The medicines are prepared mainly from natural substances, such as plant products, minerals and animal sources etc. Homoeopathy is based on the assumption that the causation of disease mainly depends upon the susceptibility of an individual to any particular disease against the action of external pathogens.
2. Ayush in India: The Department of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) established in 1995, was re-christened as the Department of Ayush in 2003 and on 9th November 2014, an independent Ministry of Ayush was created. Since then, the Ministry has expanded significantly its visibility and impact of Ayush in the country. There are more than 8 lakh Ayush Registered Practitioners, 550 teaching institutions (UG & PG colleges), 3639 hospitals & 26, 405 Dispensaries. More than 9 thousand licensed drug manufacturing units across the country contribute to Ayush health care services in the urban, semi-urban and rural areas.
3. Ayush-Global scenario: The global landscape for Traditional & Complementary Medicine (T&CM) has been improving and augmenting consistently. Traditional medical systems including Ayush systems are often underestimated despite their many applications, especially in the prevention and management of lifestyle-related chronic diseases, and meeting the health needs of ageing populations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as many as 80% of the world’s population depends on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare needs.
As per a WHO survey, 107 Member States have a national office and 75 Member States have a national research institute for traditional medicine. 34 Member States across the six WHO regions incorporate traditional or herbal medicines in their national essential medicines list. Out of nine traditional & complementary medicine practices (acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homeopathy, naturopathy, osteopathy, traditional Chinese medicine and Unani medicine), more than 110 WHO member states use herbal medicine, 90 use Ayurveda, 100 use Homoeopathy and 82 use Unani .
The Declaration and adoption of Astana by WHO at the Global Conference on Primary Health Care in October 2018, clarify the success of primary health care driven by scientific application and traditional knowledge and extending access to a range of health care services including traditional medicines. It is reported that 88% (170 Member States) have acknowledged the use of traditional medicines.
Appreciating the role of traditional medicines in healthcare, the WHO has set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (WHO GCTM) in Gujarat, India. In his speech during the Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit (GAIIS), 2022, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India highlighted that Ayush experts are formulating ISO standards in collaboration with the BIS to augment Ayush exports in the global market.
Recognising that “Yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being”, on 11th Dec 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring June 21 as the ‘International Day of Yoga’. In 2022, the International Day of Yoga (IDY) was celebrated in 192 out of 193 UN member countries.
4. International trade: According to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) report 2020, the value of 11 sectors of the global wellness economy was $4.9 trillion in 2019 and despite the health crisis, continues to be above $4.4 trillion in 2020. Ayush products are being traded in more than 100 countries, either as Medicine or as Food Supplements. Asia-Pacific is by far the largest regional market for traditional & complementary medicine ($295 billion in 2020).
5. Accomplishment of UN SDGs through Ayush systems: It is the need of the hour that we move towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3) – to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all – providing universal health coverage (UHC), addressing health emergencies and promoting healthier populations. Ayush systems can make a significant contribution in this aspect by including the provision of essential health services.
Recently, BIS has created a dedicated department of standardization in the Ayush systems. Till now, 7 indigenous Indian Standards have been published, 60 are under publication and 33 are in wide circulation. Three proposals from BIS on Ayush systems have been introduced in the ISO TC 215 ‘Health informatics’ – ISO/DTR 4421(introduction to Ayurveda informatics; ISO/AWI TS 6204 (categorical structures for decoction-making process in Ayurveda) and a NWIP on Ayurveda phenotype (Prakriti) assessment. It is noteworthy that India’s proposal for the creation of a dedicated Technical Committee for ‘Ayush systems’ in the ISO is also under consideration. There is no denying that Ayush is poised to grow exponentially and the day is not far when the world will embrace Indian systems of medicine for holistic health & well-being.
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