New Delhi: The Union government is planning a renewed push to energise research and development organisation — Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) — to systematically and scientifically develop herbal drugs to treat chronic diseases like diabetes in keeping with the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-23 that emphasises on integrating traditional and complementary medicine to promote universal healthcare.
With an eye on universal health coverage, which was the focus of the Modi government’s last full-fledged Budget ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Ayush ministry is preparing for a slew of steps to promote alternative traditional medicines, including ayurveda, said an official.
The CSIR, through its laboratories CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants and CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, has developed a formulation BGR34 for patients of newly-diagnosed diabetes, said an official.
NBRI senior scientist A.K.S Rawat said BGR-34 is made from the extracts of six plants mentioned in Ayurveda after an extensive research by NBRI and Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) scientists.
The anti-diabetic herbal composition BGR-34 for type-2 diabetes mellitus has been developed under the category of “ayurvedic proprietary medicine” as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, rules and has been tested for efficacy and safety in animal models. It is being marketed by AIMIL pharmaceuticals, said Mr Rawat.
The growing realisation within the official set up is that traditional medicines are cost effective, easily available and have better physiological compatibility to provide the basic healthcare to all.
During deliberations as part of the World Health Day 2018 observed on April 7 which had the theme — Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere — experts asserted that India has a unique opportunity to demonstrate the role of Ayush systems in transforming the current health scenario first in India and then globally.
The CSIR’s role in promoting herbal drugs to treat chronic diseases like diabetes also came up for praise during discussions.
Amid fears of the country becoming a diabetic capital of the world, the CSIR and Ayush ministry are planning to launch a campaign to encourage diabetic patients to use ayurvedic drugs, officials said.
