Efforts to reinvigorate the Ayush system in NE states

• Ministry of Ayush has organized a meeting which brought together Ayush and Health Ministers from all of the North-Eastern states.
• Ayush System of Medicine and its preventative, curative, and rehabilitative components will be promoted by all NE states.
• 1,000 Health & Wellness Centres (HWC) and 100 new AYUSH dispensaries will be opened in the NE states.

North Eastern States and Ayurveda

• North-Eastern states are rich in natural resources, minerals, forests, and water and have vast tracts of fertile land.
• A variety of species of medicinal plants, minerals, herbs, forest resources, mineral resources, etc. are found in this region.
• Natural resources and traditional practices in the North Eastern States contribute to the basic strengths of Ayush systems of medicine.
• It is believed that Ayush systems may be effectively mainstreamed and grow more popular in the northeastern states in this regard.

WHO Study on Natural Medicine

• According to the World Health Organization, 80% of people throughout the world use herbal medicines for some element of their primary health care.
• Around 21,000 plant species have the potential to be utilized as medical plants, according to the WHO.
• This conference will provide an opportunity for the north eastern states to effectively and cooperatively convey the advantages of Ayush systems of medicine to the public, raising awareness of its preventative, curative, and rehabilitative elements.

Govt efforts to promote Ayush infrastructure in NE

• The Ayush Ministry under the National Ayush Mission (NAM) has prioritised the construction of Ayush infrastructure in the north-eastern area.
• The Ministry has backed the development of new 50-bed integrated Ayush hospitals, as well as the co-location of Ayush systems at public health institutions such as PHCs, CHCs, and District Hospitals.
• In the past also the Ministry has supported medicinal plants by promoting various cultivation activities in the region.
• The North-Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Homoeopathy (NEIAH), based in Shillong, is already functioning as a National Institute for Ayurveda and Homoeopathic Education.
• In addition, the Indian government authorized changing the nomenclature and mandate of the North Eastern Institute of Folk Medicine (NEIFM) in Passighat, Arunachal Pradesh to the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research.
• This will help to improve Ayurveda education in the region.