WHO, US interested in Ayush for alternative medicines: Naik

The WHO and the United States have evinced keen interest in Ayush medicines and offered to sign an agreement for using such alternative medicines, with the former slated to sign an agreement to this effect in Geneva soon, Rajya Sabha was informed today.
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ayush Ministry Shripad Yesso Naik said Indian and US scientists are jointly working on cancer medicine research and an MoU in this regard would also be signed soon.
Replying to supplementaries, the Minister said a team of 15 American scientists had come to India for a seminar and are jointly working to evolve some good medicines and working on cancer research together.

Naik also said there has been a demand for alternative medicines the world over and efforts are on for integration of traditional medicines like Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani with allopathy for providing better treatment to patients and a pilot project, which is underway in six districts in as many states in the country.
The Minister said integration of traditional medicines with allopathy was being undertaken in the six districts, where all health centres -- primary, community and district, will provide treatment to patients by using all methods for best results to patients, with Yoga being made compulsory.
"We hope to bring integration of types of methods, including traditional, for best results... We have started it as a pilot project. If successful, we will introduce it in other parts of the country," he said.

He said a new building of Central Ayurveda Research Institute for Cancer research would soon come up at Worli in Mumbai.

The Ayush Ministry is financing states through National Medicinal Plantation Board (NMPB) under centrally-sponsored schemes for plantation of medicinal plants across the country, Naik said.
Under one scheme, 100 per cent money is financed by Ayush Ministry, while in the other, 60 per cent funding is made by the Centre and the rest by states for promotion of medicinal plantations under National Ayush Mission, he said.
The Ministry has spent 97 per cent of its budget during 2015-16 and states' share of 100 per cent has been disbursed.

In his written reply, he said different research councils are carrying out research and development activities on traditional system of medicines and a total of 10 herbal medicine research centres are functioning in the country.