World health day and Role of AYUSH in the Indian health care system:
The theme of this year world health day is “Diabetes” Diabetes is the fast growing ailment among vast majority the people nowadays. Sedentary life style, lack of proper food habits, stressful lives etc. are common reasons attributed for diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes is more observed in developing countries and according to WHO estimates nearly 400 million plus people are suffering from diabetes worldwide.
In India as per WHO estimates 70k men and 50k women have died in the age group of 30 – 59 because of diabetes. Diabetes totally accounts for nearly 2% the total deaths compared to 27% deaths due cancer and 7% due to cardio vascular diseases. However early detection of prediabetic conditions have significantly reduced the adverse impact created by Diabetes.
Paucity of health workforce in rural India has always been a problem. Lack of interest of modern allopathic graduates in serving the rural poor has worsened the situation little more. The National Rural Health Mission brought an innovative concept of mainstreaming of AYUSH and revitalization of local health tradition by collocating AYUSH doctors at various rural health facilities such as community health centres and primary health centres. In this context a study was aimed, based on secondary data, to make a situational analysis of health workforce in rural India and thereby analysing the status and role of AYUSH Doctors in filling this gap of health workforce inequality.
In this background Government has constituted new ministry for the promotion of AYUSH as an alternate system of treatment.
The key strategies that were identified by the Government of India towards the process of mainstreaming were
Integration and mainstreaming of the Indian systems of medicine and Homeopathy into the existing public healthcare system and the national health programmes;
Encouragement and establishment of Indian systems of medicine specialty centres;
Facilitation and strengthening of quality control laboratories for the AYUSH system;
Strengthening drug standardisation research;
Advocacy for AYUSH; and
Establishing sectoral linkages for AYUSH.
Efforts have been made for the promotion of AYUSH by the government. Health is not just a physical aspect. It is the perfect amalgamation of physical, mental and spiritual dimension. With recent signing of MOU between WHO and Ministry of AYUSH, it has a long way in creating an impact among all people. For that to happen more efforts are needed to market the AYUSH than how it is promoted now.
Click here and search for Spotlight/ News Analysis dated 7th April 2016.