Public Health Approach of Ayurveda and Yoga for COVID 19 Prophylaxis.
Editor's Note: National governments are deeply divided over whether traditional, complementary and integrative practices have value for human beings relative to COVID 19. We witness a double standard. Medical doctors explore off label uses of pharmaceutical agents that may have some suggestive research while evidence that indicates potential utility of natural products, practices and practitioners is often dismissed. In this Invited Commentary, a long time JACM Editorial Board member Bhushan Patwardhan, PhD, from the AYUSH Center of Excellence, Center for Complementary and Integrative Health at the Savitribai Phule Pune University, India and colleagues from multiple institutions make a case for the potential roles of Ayurvedic medicine and Yoga as supportive measures in self care and treatment. Patwardhan is a warrior for enhancing scientific standards in traditional medicine in India. Patwardhan was recently appointed by the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, as Chairman of an 18 member expert group known as 'Interdisciplinary AYUSH Research and Development Taskforce' for initiating, coordinating and monitoring efforts against COVID 19. He was last seen here in an invited commentary entitled 'Contesting Predators: Cleaning Up Trash in Science' (JACM, October 2019) We are pleased to have this opportunity to share the recommended approaches, the science, and the historic references as part of the global effort to leave no stone unturned in best preparing our populations to withstand COVID 19 and future viral threats. John Weeks, Editor in Chief, JACM (johnweeks integrator.com)
Journal of alternative and complementary medicine