Union Health Minister Anupriya Patel made a compelling case for merging traditional AYUSH practices with contemporary medicine to fortify Universal Health Coverage during her address at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. On Thursday, she urged a paradigm shift from reactive curing to proactive wellness in public health strategies.
The third day of the summit featured Patel’s insights in a session on advancing integrative medicine from policy formulation to practical implementation. She painted a stark picture of modern health challenges: surging NCDs driven by urban lifestyles, junk food consumption, sedentary behaviors, and unrelenting stress. These factors demand more than episodic interventions.
‘Integrating AYUSH into modern frameworks paves the way for a preventive, community-driven health ecosystem,’ Patel declared. This approach resonates deeply with UHC objectives, promising broader access and better outcomes.
India leads by example, methodically fusing its rich heritage of traditional systems with scientific rigor. The minister detailed how ancient knowledge has been validated and scaled for public use, thanks to structured policies. WHO recognizes the global appeal, with traditional medicine embraced in nearly nine out of ten member countries.
Institutionalizing this in India, the 2017 NHP sets the stage for seamless integration. Primary health centers like Ayushman Arogya Mandirs deliver holistic services including yoga. AYUSH blocks handle secondary care, and advanced integrative units are rolling out in national institutes. Even medical training now embeds these systems.
Patel’s vision challenges global leaders to invest in such models, potentially revolutionizing healthcare delivery and curbing the NCD epidemic through culturally attuned, sustainable solutions.
