Abstract

Marketing Indian Traditional and Folk medicines and Practices : Need of the Hour

M Arulpitchai Narayanan, Chairman, Arma Medical Foundation

The Indian subcontinent has rich age-old cultural and heritage practices which has huge medical importance, which remain unexplored. Though the Government of India, through its Department of AYUSH began the initiative to validate the traditional medical practices in India, we have miles to go. Only handful of medicinal plants and few marine biological and few cultural practices are being targeted by the Pharma industries and Medical Research Groups. Thousands of medicinal plants, marine biological, traditional and folk medical practices remain virgin, untouched by any group subjecting them for validation. The reason for this lacuna is the lack of scientific data base on such facts, for which we should create a data base on I) all medicinal plants and marine biological in India, with information on their use by traditional/ folk medical professionals in different geographical locations of the country, ii ) Scientists involved in isolation and characterization of plant principles as well as experts in reverse pharmacology. For this, the Government of India should be sensitized to initiate the process of documentation, create a data base and support research. Department of AYUSH should be the Nodal Agency. The data generated should be a National Property and should be patented. Interested pharma industry can make use of the data as a partner of the Government of India.