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Medicinal Plants
for Modern Health Care – How does India Fare?
There is a renewed focus throughout the world on the role of
medicinal plants and traditional system of health management. The
result has been an increased trade of such medicinal plants, much
to the detriment of the natural habitat and environment of the
countries of origin from where these plants are being uprooted.
Though most developing countries have always treated traditional
system of healthcare management as an integral part of their
culture, colonial pressures have often resulted in set backs in
the practice of such systems particularly in a country like India.
Despite acquiring independence over 50 years ago, unfortunately
this country still suffers from post-British hangovers which have
made western allopathic medication the preferred choice of people
of India particularly in the urban belts. The result has been a
near-disaster, with a non-existing primary healthcare system and a
dilapidated veterinary health care structure. One of the reasons
attributed for this disastrous situation could be that the western
system of critical health care management is too slow; taking over
5 years to train a doctor, it is perhaps incapable to manage the
healthcare system of a country which is brimming with over a
billion in population, and still growing!
The solution to this issue is perhaps obvious. There ought to be a
rigorous and urgent revival of the traditional Indian system of
medication like Ayurveda and Siddha. This has to be backed by a
methodical investment plan in the culture of medicinal plants
along with the requisite trained manpower to translate the age-old
sciences into modern and practical applications. In this regard,
China is a glowing example of how to retain traditionalism and yet
put it to relevant use to cure modern ailments. The success of
Chinese traditional medical practice is evident by its market
share which is 40%. In fact, in rural China 90% of all medicines
used have their origin in traditional methods. The market for
Chinese traditional medicines has doubled in the past 5 years with
majority of formulations made in Chinese pharmaceutical factories
having traditional roots. Most of their formulations have plant
origin and they have a successful export market too. Though
Chinese medicines find a ready market in Asian countries like
India, etc. but they are also slowly making inroads in to
Canadian, European and American markets.
There is a lesson for India to be learnt from this. Not only
should it concentrate on developing the domestic market but must
simultaneously tap the international market where there is a
constant growing demand for medicinal plants. Taking a cue from
the growing popularity of phyto, we can easily see the acceptance
of plant-based medicines both in Europe and the US. Official
statistics tell us that the market for herbal drugs and cosmetics
would touch approximately a few billion dollars annually, with a
visible upward trend. The stupendous success of Shenaz Hussain
herbal products both in India and abroad is an example of how a
well-researched and world-class range of cosmetics with herbal
origin can achieve in a competitive market place.
The action plan for India should not just aim for exporting
medicinal plants abroad but consider adding more value to their
produce. Manufacturing phyto products to international standards
is a viable option in this regard. There is no dearth of talent
and expertise in India where even small scale manufacturers can be
trained to produce goods of international specifications with in a
short time. It is unfortunate that most Asian countries are happy
to merely exporting raw materials when they have the
infrastructure and the expertise to add more value to their export
products. Lack of adequate financial resources and a focused
approach are the main obstacles faced by India and other similar
countries. The net result is that 90% of all finished products are
still getting manufactured in Europe and North America.
It is a fact that countries like Europe and America continue to
import a lot of raw materials in violation of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). With its long
standing reputation of practicing alternative medicine, Germany is
one of the biggest importers of unprocessed medicinal plants and
subsequently one of the biggest offenders of CITES guidelines.
Along with allopathic systems of medication, there are a lot of
alternative therapies followed in rather conservative health
institutions like university clinics and government hospitals. In
fact, Von Ardennnes’ oxygen enrichment therapy is as popular as
Ayurveda and acupuncture. Germany which is the home to homeopathy,
not only uses plants of European origin like lavender, rosemary
and gentian for their therapeutic values, but has conveniently
taken many plants from other cultures to be included in
alternative and traditional therapy regimens.
Policy governing the growth, culture and use of medicinal plants
are issues of paramount importance. While its extended use is good
for the health of humanity, but its growth and culture should also
be carefully monitored so that depletion is matched by equal
opportunities for re-growth. It is important to remember that
unless we replenish what we are using, we would soon run out of
this important source of health and well-being. Already there is
price fluctuations noticed in the herbal market which usually
appears every six to nine years. This is due to the fact that the
availability of wild plants and herbs swings from an oversupply
situation to a stark scarcity which stabilizes soon. These extreme
market situations are indicative of the fact that the crop is
over-harvested and thus there is a shortage in supplies, which
result in a price hike. Therefore, these price fluctuations should
be taken by the respective governments as signals that some of the
herbs are getting over-used and getting endangered. Steps should
be taken immediately to regulate its growth so that extinction can
be avoided.
In India a peculiar situation prevails with regard to medicinal
plants. on one hand there is no regulation regarding its
procurement or sale. On the other, there is no control on the
finished products derived from these medicinal plants also. The
Drugs Controller of India, the supreme authority in control of the
quality and other important aspects of the drug market in this
country has no role to play when it is a matter of natural or
medicinal plants. They have not been empowered with the authority
to examine the ingredients, the efficacy or any other aspect of
herbal products which are available in this country. This has led
to, and understandably so, many spurious and adulterated
ingredients being used which are sold in the name of herbal
products and marketed by herbal drug companies.
One of the primary requirements, if India ever wants to be amongst
the top players in the phyto and herbal cosmetic market in the
world, is to have far more stringent quality control measures both
at the procurement and at the manufacturing levels. Operations
have to be more transparent and regulated, as in China who has
very strict quality parameters as well as deploy very strict
monitoring methods in matters related to sales of plant-based
medicines. One of the important lessons to be learnt from China is
how to ensure consistent quality in their products which forms the
basis of their goodwill and reputation in the market. Whether the
products are made for local consumption or for the export market,
all Chinese brands are processed through stiff quality control
measures. Each of the pharmaceutical factories in China has their
own quality control set ups who conduct random checks on their
production.
The reason why products made in China can ensure such consistently
high quality has a lot to do with their attitude and sense of
pride. Whatever products they make, they ensure that nothing
should happen to tarnish the image of Chinese products in the
market. Rather than concentrating on controlling costs and hiking
up profits, they concentrate more on ensuring consistently high
quality standards of their products. The government also has a
role to play in the maintenance of strict quality standards as it
has laid down very rigid rules in this matter. The maker of each
traditional medicine has to list the ingredients which are then
verified by reviewing authorities. The products are only allowed
to be released in the domestic and export market after it has met
with all the quality parameters as specified in Chinese
traditional medicine, in terms of safety and efficacy. The reviews
and approvals are not done by any government official, but people
who are specially trained in Chinese traditional medicine.
It is obvious that the Chinese know the severe criticism and
skepticism with which their medicines would be viewed in the
global arena. So to get easy and quick acceptance of their
products, they have not only combined the traditional medication
with modern medical system, they have also laid overt emphasis on
transparency of operation, quality assurance as well as
standardization. To do this they have focused on upgrading and
modernizing the medicine production. Instead of verbalizing their
intentions, which is so common in India, they have actually worked
out feasible solutions and working methods with a real-life and
practical approach. This is evident from the close network of
their field scientists, pharmacologists and clinicians who all
work for a common goal in an integrated manner.
The traditional Indian medical system including Ayurveda, Unani,
Siddha and a host of other lesser know medical sciences which were
one practiced in the tribal regions of this country holds a
tremendous wealth of knowledge and possibilities. Unfortunately we
have not yet developed any feasible strategy to integrate all the
people who are involved in these sciences and expose their
efficacies to the modern world. Unless we pay more attention to
the great many details which can expose this hidden wealth and
translate them into handsome export earnings, we would be where we
are. Our lack of planning and foresight is making us incapable of
providing even the barest minimum affordable health care to the
most deserving members of our population.
Original Article
Source:
http://www.medicalneeds.com |
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