Traditional Medicine Validation through Research and Collaboration

The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) is documenting traditional practices through its Tribal Health Care Research Programme and Medico Ethno‑Botanical Survey, while also conducting awareness lectures on Ayurveda‑based lifestyle practices. A Memorandum of Agreement between the Ministry of AYUSH and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), signed on 11 May 2023, aims to foster integrative health research and strengthen research capacity. Under this collaboration, a community‑based, three‑arm randomised controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of Punarnavadi Mandura (alone and with Drakshavaleha) versus iron‑folic acid for moderate iron‑deficiency anaemia in non‑pregnant women. The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) operates a 200‑bed tertiary‑care hospital with an ICU, integrating modern specialists and establishing an integrated cancer clinic, while the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) now offers beneficiaries the choice of AYUSH or allopathic treatment.