A brief assessment of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy health system based on Five-year Plans of India

Abstract

Indian system of medicine is an indigenous form of medicine native to the Indian subcontinent. The system is a blend of six different forms of medicine currently designated with an acronym called AYUSH which stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy. After independence, with the initiation of long-term planning, Five-year Plan took its birth and in that all social and technology sector planning started appearing. Since then, health and family welfare planning became imperative as a social sector planning. Health has always been given due importance in the planning process owing to its very complex nature of affiliation with other sectors of development known as the social determinants of health. Indian System of Medicine, which is India’s own bequest, became a part of health and family welfare planning since then. At the very outset of planning, the system struggled with great degree of uncertainty (as described in 1st Five-year Plan) and progressed ahead with a vision to be a globally accepted system (as envisaged in 11th Five-year Plan). Recently, in 2014, a separate ministry was created under the Union Government of India to devote increased focus for the healthy development of this system. Despite its regular appearance in the planning documents, the system got a distinct categorical visibility after the 7th Five-year-Plan. It was in the 11th 5 years plan a new concept called “Mainstreaming of AYUSH and revitalization of local health traditions†was brought into action, although envisioned in 9th Five-year Plan. With this background, a review was carried out to assess the AYUSH health system based on Five-year Plans.