Dr Mansukh Mandaviya launches AYUSH-ICMR Advanced Centre for Integrated Health Research in AIIMS

By statetimes_editor Last updated Mar 4, 2024

Collaborative Research in AYUSH is extremely important as it bridges the gap between traditional knowledge and modern scientific research, promoting a synergistic approach to healthcare: Dr Mansukh Mandaviya
“Strategic collaboration between AYUSH and ICMR aims to advance Integrative Health Research, integrate traditional AYUSH practices with modern medical science and take India to the forefront of holistic healthcare innovations”
Announces Multicentre clinical trial on Anaemia
Launches Indian Public Health Standards for AYUSH healthcare facilities
Inaugurates 27th Convocation of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth and 29th National Seminar on ‘Ayurvedo Amritanam’

New Delhi: Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare launched the AYUSH-ICMR Advanced Centre for Integrated Health Research in AIIMS, here today. He also announced other mega joint initiatives between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of AYUSH which included Multicentre clinical trial on Anaemia and the launch of Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) for AYUSH healthcare facilities. The Union Health Minister also inaugurated the 27^th convocation of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth and the 29^th National Seminar on ‘Ayurvedo Amritanam’ on the occasion.

Expressing his elation at the launch of these collaborative initiatives, Dr Mandaviya said that, “Collaborative Research in AYUSH is extremely important as it bridges the gap between traditional knowledge and modern scientific research, promoting a synergistic approach to health care”. “Ayurveda is a part of our culture, heritage and tradition. It is still being followed in our everyday practice. This strategic collaboration aims to advance Integrative Health Research, integrate traditional AYUSH practices with modern medical science and take India to the forefront of holistic healthcare innovations”, he said.

Highlighting that the government is following an integrative approach so as to take the best practices from both the disciplines, Ayurveda and Allopathy, the Union Health Minister said that “the Union Government is working towards providing quality-oriented healthcare towards the needs of the people of the country. In this direction, Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) were published by the Union Health Ministry as a set of uniform standards to improve the quality of health care delivery. By adopting these reforms, it is expected that the States/UTs will be able to develop AYUSH health care services with set standards and quality infrastructure, thereby enabling the public to avail the benefits of AYUSH medical services for all healthcare.

The Union Health Minister congratulated the Ministry of AYUSH for its remarkable journey in the last decade which has resulted in significant initiatives and achievements. He also urged the students to inspiration from our ancient scriptures and follow their practices with pride.

Background:

AYUSH-ICMR Advanced Centre for 5 Integrative Health Research:

Integrative Medicine (IM) is an approach to medical care that recognizes the benefit of combining conventional/modern medicine therapies with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies that have been shown to be safe and effective to promote holistic health considering individual’s requirements. IM also addresses the barriers to healing and provide the patient with the knowledge, skills and support to take better care of their physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual health. Rather than limiting treatments to a specific specialty, IM uses the safest and most effective combination of approaches and treatments from the world of conventional and complementary/alternative medicine.

There is a need for an integrated healthcare regime that can guide health policies and programs in the future. India has an advantage in this global resurgence of interest as it has a rich heritage of indigenous medical knowledge coupled with a robust infrastructure and skilled workforce in contemporary medicine. Recently, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between M/o AYUSH and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was signed at an inter-ministerial level. This is to promote high impact research on Integrative Health to generate evidence in priority areas of national importance in healthcare utilizing modern scientific methods. This is a joint effort to establish AYUSH-ICMR Centers for Integrative Health Research (AI-ACIHR) at AIIMS in phases. Joint efforts will be in place to conduct high-quality clinical trials on identified areas/disease conditions of national importance with promising integrative therapies to generate evidence for wider acceptance.

AYUSH-ICMR Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research are being set up to develop integrative health research through integrating AYUSH system with conventional bio-medicine, and modem technology to bring integrative health care to the people for improved patient outcome through innovations related to diagnostics, preventive, health promotive as well as treatment methods.

The objectives of the AYUSH-ICMR Advanced Centre for Integrative Research are:

To harness the mutual understanding and research environment between the different systems of medicine leading to Integrative Health Research.
To identify priority areas where the approach of integrative medicine may have potential and conduct integrative research in these priority areas to generate robust evidence.
To develop Integrative management protocols with inputs from both traditional and modern medicine in the identified priority diseases based on the generated evidence.
To carry out mechanistic studies to explain the integrative medicine approach.
To develop guidelines and establish pathways to facilitate cross referrals utilizing the integrative medicine approach.

The following are the four AIIMS which will host these advanced centres:

AIIMS Delhi:

1. Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research in Gastro-intestinal Disorders

2. Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research in Women and Child Health

AIIMS Jodhpur: Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research in Geriatric Health

AIIMS Nagpur: Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research in Cancer Care

AIIMS Rishikesh: Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research in Geriatric Health

Announcement on Multicentre clinical trial on Anaemia:

CCRAS under Ministry of AYUSH and ICMR has undertaken a research study on Anaemia entitled “Efficacy and safety of Punarnavadi Mandura alone and in combination with Drakshavaleha compared to iron folic acid in the treatment of moderate iron deficiency anaemia among non-pregnant women of reproductive age group”: a community-based three arm multicenter randomized controlled trial. The study will be carried out at 8 different sites namely MGIMS Wardha, AIIMS Jodhpur, NITM Bengaluru, RIMS Ranchi, KEM Hospital Research Centre, AIIMS New Delhi, AIIMS Bhopal, and AIIMS Bibinagar.

Launch of Indian Public Health Standards for AYUSH health care facilities:

The Indian Public Health Standards for AYUSH healthcare facilities aims to lay down uniform standards & quality infrastructure, human resource, medicines etc. By adopting these standards, States and UTs will able to extend quality AYUSH health care services to the deserving population. The fundamental aim is to augment preventive, promotive, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative services within the public health domain, emphasizing uncompromising quality. A pivotal principle within the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 is the incorporation of Pluralism.

Inauguration of 27^th Convocation of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth and National Seminar on ‘Ayurvedo Amritanam’:

Around 201 shishyas enrolled under Guru Shishya Parampara would be awarded CRAV certificate.
Fellow of RAV (FRAV) awards to eminent vaidyas & Lifetime Achievement award will be presented to eminent vaidyas for their outstanding contribution towards ayurveda betterment.
Shishopananyniya samskara (Welcoming ceremony) for new CRAV students for the batch 2024-25.
Two Day National Seminar on “Ayurvedo Amritanam” Ayurveda for One Health/Post Covid health management/Immunity through Ayurevda.

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH; Smt. Anu Nagar, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry; Dr M Srinivas, Director, AIIMS New Delhi; Dr Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Executive Director, AIIMS Jodhpur; Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya, DG, Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of AYUSH; Vaidya Devendra Triguna, Ex-President, Governing Body, Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth, New Delhi and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry and Union AYUSH Ministry were present on the occasion.