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Traditional healing: modern medicine’s friend or foe?
Despite skeptism, WHO has legitimised acupuncture and ayurveda.
Carlin Carr in Mumbai − 17 Sep 2014
Arvind Singh came to Barefoot Acupuncturists in Mumbai’s Vijay Nagar slum to find relief from debilitating low-back pain. His chronic suffering forced him to leave his job as a security guard, eliminating the family’s sole income. “We went for x-rays, CT scans and blood tests, but no one could give us a diagnosis,” says his wife, Anita. Doctors prescribed painkillers and suggested surgery − both costly options. Eventually, the Singhs turned to acupuncture, where, after 15 treatments at 20 rupees a sitting, Singh felt “completely fine”.
Around the world, traditional medical systems, such as acupuncture and ayurveda are increasingly being recognised as affordable, low-tech interventions for under-served areas. In India, 65% of the rural population uses ayurveda and medicinal plants as a first step for healthcare. In Africa, traditional medicine serves 80% of healthcare needs. In China, the figure is about 40%.
“For many millions of people, often living in rural areas of developing countries, herbal medicines, traditional treatments and traditional practitioners are the main − sometimes the only − source of healthcare,” the World Health Organisation’s director general, Margaret Chan, said in 2008. “This is care that is close to homes, accessible and affordable.”
The WHO recently launched the traditional medicine strategy 2014-2023 to mainstream traditional medicine alongside allopathic (modern, western) care, with an emphasis on improving safety and expanding access.
Traditional medicine in its many forms has proven to be an effective treatment for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) − one of the biggest health burdens for developing countries. NCDs, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and chronic lung disease, kill more than 36 million people each year and 80% of the deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Founder of AyurVaid chain of ayurvedic hospitals Rajiv Vasudevan says today’s “quick fix” society turns too quickly to pills and elective surgery but traditional medicine treats the root-cause. He says that allopathic medicine provides symptomatic treatment that, for example, returns blood pressure back to normal, but ignores the underlying conditions − a person’s constitution, the surrounding environment, diet − that cause the illness in the first place.
“In general, ayurveda can play an effective complementary role to allopathy’s emergency medical care system,” says Vasudevan, who believes the lowest economic strata can benefit the most from these choices in treatment.
Ayurveda’s focus on long-term wellbeing is particularly important for vulnerable communities who rely on healthy bodies for a steady income.
(Adapted from https://amp.theguardian.com)
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