Opportunities and Challenges in Ayurveda: Global Perspective

Abstract

Commentary I participated in the 7th World Ayurveda Conference (WAC) in Kolkata a few weeks ago, at the invitation of Dr. Geetha Krishanan, Secretary WAC-2016. As an outsider, I enjoyed the meetings, the exposition and the opportunity to meet experts in various fields of Traditional Medicine. I was frequently asked during the conference, whether I was a Vaidya or a traditional heath provider or promoter? As I explained to the experts who asked me this question, I feel that it is essential for me to provide some introductory explanations, as to why I am interested in Traditional Indian Medicine. I am the founder and CEO of a professional society; South Asian Society on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis (SASAT). I have been organizing international conference on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis for over three decades in India. We have published several books on this subject in India [1-6]. During our conference in 2006 (www.sasat.org/ 7_symp_prog_13.htm). We organized a round table discussion on, “The need for integration of Indian Traditional Medicine for the development of affordable healthcare in India”. Since then, we are working on this idea, so that we can develop a comprehensive seamless Integrated Healthcare for India.