Union ayush and health ministers to announce multi-centre clinical trial on anaemia

New Delhi: The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) functioning under the ayush ministry, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has initiated a clinical trial to study the efficacy and safety of Punarnavadi Mandura alone and in combination with Drakshavaleha, compared to iron folic acid, in the treatment of anaemia among non-pregnant women of the reproductive age group.

The announcement on the multi-centre clinical trial on anaemia will be made by Union Minister of AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday, according to an official statement.

The research study on anaemia has been titled 'Efficacy and safety of Punarnavadi Mandura alone and in combination with Drakshavaleha compared to iron folic acid in the treatment of moderate iron deficiency anaemia among non-pregnant women of reproductive age group: a community-based three-arm multi-centre randomised controlled trial'.

It will be carried out at eight different sites -- MGIMS-Wardha, AIIMS-Jodhpur, NITM-Bengaluru, RIMS-Ranchi, KEM Hospital Research Centre, AIIMS-New Delhi, AIIMS-Bhopal and AIIMS-Bibinagar -- the statement said.

Punarnavadi Mandoor is a polyherbal formulation that is rich in iron.

The ministers will also launch the Ayush-ICMR Advanced Centre for Five Integrative Health Research (AI-ACIHR) at four selected AIIMS -- Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research in Gastro-intestinal Disorders and Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research in Women and Child Health at AIIMS-New Delhi, Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research in Geriatric Health at AIIMS-Jodhpur, Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research in Cancer Care at AIIMS-Nagpur and Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research in Geriatric Health at AIIMS-Rishikesh.

They will also launch the Indian public health standards for ayush healthcare facilities and participate in the 27th convocation ceremony of the Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth, the statement said.

The Indian public health standards for ayush healthcare facilities aim at laying down uniform standards and quality infrastructure, human resource, medicines etc.

By adopting these standards, the states and Union territories will be able to extend the quality ayush healthcare services to the deserving population. The fundamental aim is to augment preventive, promotive, curative, palliative and rehabilitative services within the public health domain, emphasising uncompromising quality, the statement said.

A pivotal principle within the National Health Policy (NHP), 2017 is the incorporation of pluralism, it added.