Alternative medicine inching towards mainstream acceptance

India is the world leader in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and home to the largest number of homeopaths practitioners and patients. The nation is also the birthplace of the oldest system of medicine—ayurveda. India, more recently, has become the only country in the world, to have established, in essence, a ministry of alternative medicine: the ministry of AYUSH—ayurveda, yoga, unani, siddha and homeopathy.

CAM is immensely popular globally, with homeopathy ranking second. Homeopaths and practitioners of other forms of CAM are beginning to rise to the challenge posed by enthusiasts of evidence-based medicine. Substantial research demonstrating the effects of CAM exist. However, there is need for much more. Homeopaths and homeopathic organisations are beginning to understand the significance of evolving their methodology as homeopathy is one of the systems most amenable to contemporary research methodology.

It may be pertinent to note however, that homeopathic research is largely debilitated by a publication bias. Mainstream medical journals have, for the most part, stopped publishing manuscripts that contain homeopathic findings. Stifling dissemination of research in the world of medicine is not a desirable mechanism for discourse and assimilation. Homeopathy is set to sail well into the next decade as patients continue to repose their faith in the two-hundred-year old system of medicine, choosing a safe and reliable alternative. Indeed, it is this choice which needs to be honoured and protected by the health services the world over.

India made huge strides in providing a robust training and regulation mechanism for various of forms of CAM within the first few decades of independence. The pace that was set should not be allowed to falter. As the country redefines the landscape of public health services through programmes like Ayushman Bharat at the central and mohalla clinics and many such other programmes at the state levels, the provision of CAM services needs to be considered within these progressive projects. Ensuring the availability of CAM practitioners alongside doctors of conventional medicine will result in quick referrals, reduce the burden on the suboptimal number of conventional doctors and shorten the time that a patient spends visiting different state-run health care centres.

 The articles in this issue will make readers aware of the wide range of illnesses that homeopathy is able to effectively tackle and learn about  cutting-edge experiments being conducted to understand the mode of action of homeopathic medicines. The articles on ayurveda and siddha trace the origins of these systems of medicine and provide a view of recent developments and advances. Another article delves into forms of traditional medicine including the relatively less known non-codified system of folk medicine.