COVID: AYUSH and Health Ministry to launch study on using Ayurveda as add-on to standard care

The AYUSH Ministry in collaboration with the Health Ministry will launch clinical research studies on Ayurveda interventions as prophylaxis and as an add-on to standard care to COVID 19.

These studies will be done as a joint initiative of Ministry of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology through Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) with technical support of ICMR, the AYUSH ministry said in a statement.

AYUSH minister Shripad Naik and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will jointly launch on Thursday three AYUSH-based studies related to COVID-19 situation.

"The (AYUSH) ministry is also studying the impacts of AYUSH-based prophylactic interventions in high risk population and AYUSH advocacies and AYUSH measures for prevention of COVID 19," the statement said.

It has set up an Interdisciplinary Ayush Research and Development Task Force with a group of experts under Dr Bhushan Patvardhan, Vice Chairmen, University Grant Commission (UGC) to formulate and develop strategies for this initiative.

Thetask force has formulated and designed clinical research protocols for prophylactic studies and add-on interventions in COVID-19 positive cases through thorough review and consultative process of experts of high repute from different organisations across the country for studying four different interventions viz.Ashwagandha, Yashtimadhu, Guduchi +Pippaliand a poly herbal formulation (AYUSH-64), the statement said.

The ministry has also developed Ayush Sanjivani mobile app for generating data of large population with a target of 5 million people.

"The core expected outcomes includes to generate data on acceptance and usage of AYUSH advocacies and measures among the population and its impact in prevention of COVID 19," the statement stated.