Why traditional medicine systems, targeted interventions may help India become world's holistic health capital

India has been the land of spirituality and awakening, where the world has come to find itself. Throughout millennia, our country has been a beacon of hope not only for people looking for enlightenment and inner peace but also for people looking to heal themselves from physical ailments, bodily harm, and misery. India’s rich base of knowledge of traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy — combined in the acronym AYUSH — has long been a source of strength for us, as these traditional therapies have healed all. This is why these therapies have gained traction globally. Yoga and Ayurveda are, well and truly, our country’s gift to the world. Yoga originated in India in the 5th century BC. It was brought into the US and Europe by Indian immigrants at the end of the nineteenth century. Today, the US alone has over 6,000 yoga studios. Canada, Singapore, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand are some of the other countries where Yoga is quite popular. Every year, the International Day of Yoga is celebrated world-over on June 21. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead this year’s celebrations in Mysuru, Karnataka. Similarly, Ayurveda has quite the following in the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Japan. In fact, the global Ayush sector is projected to grow to $23.3 billion in 2022. A combination of favourable factors is at play which have the potential to catapult India to becoming the holistic health capital of the world. These include centuries of careful experimentation and knowledge of traditional medicine systems, along with urgency in introducing targeted regulatory interventions. A lot is happening in the Ayush space that warrants this observation. Concerted efforts are on to utilise technological innovation and promote research in traditional medicine systems to give them greater credence. Last month, India partnered World Health Organisation (WHO) to set up the world’s first Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Traditional medicine systems are popular throughout the world. So much so that around 80 per cent of the world’s population uses traditional medicines for primary health care. As many as 170 of the 190 WHO member countries have reported the use of traditional medicine and their governments have sought the WHO’s support in creating a body of reliable evidence and data on traditional medicine practices and products. The setting up of the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) is a step to address this demand. It is a bold new vision to catalyze global advancement in medicine. The Centre in Jamnagar will support evidence and data in traditional medicine. It will build the capacity for sustainable innovation in medicine by bringing together the latest technology and knowledge to advance our understanding of traditional medicine already in use by billions of people. The Centre will enable equity in access to healthcare as innovation done here will serve the poorest, most vulnerable people across the world, promoting good health and wellbeing for all. While its physical location will be in Jamnagar, Gujarat, the Centre’s reach, and impact will be global. Formed only eight years ago, the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India has acted with speed and urgency to promote India as a destination for holistic health. To this end, India will introduce Ayush Visas - a special category of visas for people who come to the country for traditional treatments. Our country is well-prepared to take care of this new set of medical tourists as we have over one lakh holistic health and wellness centres. India is working fast to foster wider acceptance of traditional medicine systems. In a short span of time, its Ayush ministry has collaborated with more than 50 countries to promote Ayurveda, Yoga and other Ayush streams. Last month’s three-day Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit, the maiden such effort to promote the Ayush industry, attracted investment commitments worth INR 9,000 crore from companies in sectors like FMCG, medical value travel, and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, technology, and diagnostics. Such promotion of traditional medicine systems is good for humanity as it helps in universal access to healthcare. Traditional medicine systems are a frugal and cost-effective means of maintaining good health. That is why 170 countries practice traditional medicine. Most importantly, traditional medicine systems are good for the planet. They promote sustainable healthcare for all. There is a strong element of reverence for nature in traditional medicine systems, as they involve caring for nature and giving back to the earth for it is providing us good health. This reciprocity is the basis of traditional medicine systems and indeed human survival on the planet. India has so much to give the world, especially in the domain of holistic health. Now, our focus on presenting ourselves as the world’s holistic health hub might well work wonders. The author is a Professor, Dean & Head at Central University of South Bihar and Nodal officer, Bihar, Fit India Campaign Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.