WORLD HEALTH DAY GUIDELINES DATE & THEME

Date Day Observed THEME April 7th 2011 World health day

“Anti Microbial Resistance” Classes on

• The theory of infection- Naturopathy perspective

• Antibiotics- ups & downs • Management of infectious diseases

through Naturopathy & Yoga

June 5th 2011 Environment day “Nature at your Service”

August 12th 2011 International youth day “Challenges of Youth with reference to Health”

Jan 1st 2012 Family day “Naturopathy for Healthy Family From New Born to Grandpa” “Infertility – its Natural & Easy solutions”

• Programmes should be conducted only on above dates and themes strictly. • Registered Naturopathy organizations, Naturopathy Institutions & Hospitals attached with

any registered trust/society can apply immediately. Those which are covered under CCRYN grant can also avail this one day programme. Applications may be send urgently by Fax or E-mail(ninpune25@gmail.com) and the original by post.

• Sponsoring amount will be Rs 8000/- only. • Wide publicity, banner showing theme, date and caption “Free one day Naturopathy &

Yoga Awareness Programme as part of the silver Jubilee celebrations of NIN , Pune ”are compulsory .

• A Rally should be organized with participation of nearby school children and general public on the same day .Minimum 2 rallies must be conducted in one year by one organization/hospital. Out of the first three you may select any two for conducting the rally.

• Documentation of details of the participants in both soft copy and Hard copy in the format given below is compulsory ( Hard copy with signature of the participants )

Sl.No Name Age Sex Address Occupation Educational Qualification

Disease , if any

• Photos should be submitted in soft and hard copies along with the final report within one month after completion of the programme , failing which will lead to non –payment.

• Two faculties from Naturopathy or the second one from any other medical faculty with a social outlook, can be used as resource persons.

HEALTH-EASEVERSUS DIS-EASECONTINUUM

- Dr. D.V. Arankalle

There has been a radical change in the healthcare sector since 1930 after Alexander Fleming

discovered penicillin, which is considered as the beginning of the antibiotic era.In spiteof major

investment of time, money and other resources, science has now reached a dead-end. It faces a

similar dilemma, however, of graver intensity – that of antimicrobial resistance. The growing

concern of healthcare professionals in the present era is the inevitable antimicrobial resistance. It

has become such a major problem today that the World Health Organization (WHO) has

recognized it as a theme for the World Health Day which is celebrated every year on seventh of

April to increase global awareness on health issues.

We are approaching a stage where policy-makers, scientists and governments are being

forced to question and reconsider the outcome of research done in this field. Nevertheless, as the

British composer John Powell rightly says, “The only real mistake is the one from which we

learn nothing”. Thus, a fundamental change is now necessary for exploring better healthcare

alternatives that focus on ‘health’-based solutions rather than ‘disease’-based solutions. What

better alternative, than studying the basic science of Naturopathy that is very much related to

healthy living?‘Life Natural’ dealing with living naturally healthy, assures optimum immunity to

resist any infections, is the preventive aspect of Naturopathy. Detoxification of the entire system

that generates an anti atmosphere for the survival of Microbes or any disease condition in the

body is the therapeutic aspect of Naturopathy.

What is Antimicrobial Resistance?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial medicine to

which it was previously sensitive. Resistant organisms (they include bacteria, viruses and some

parasites) are able to withstand attack by antimicrobial medicines, such as antibiotics, antivirals,

and antimalarials, so that standard treatments become ineffective and infections persist and may

spread to others. AMR is a consequence of the use, particularly the misuse, of antimicrobial

medicines and develops when a microorganism mutates or acquires a resistance gene.

According to a WHO report, AMR threatens a return to the pre-antibiotic era. Many

infectious diseases risk are becoming uncontrollable and could derail the progress made towards

reaching the targets of the health-related United Nations Millennium Development Goals set for

2015.

WHO also attributes the following to AMR (thus making it a global concern):

• AMR kills

Infections caused by resistant microorganisms often fail to respond to the standard

treatment, resulting in prolonged illness and greater risk of death.

• AMR hampers the control of infectious diseases

AMR reduces the effectiveness of treatment because patients remain infectious for

longer, thus potentially spreading resistant microorganisms to others.

• AMR increases the cost of health care

When infections become resistant to first-line medicines, more expensive therapies are

forced to be used. The longer duration of illness and treatment, often in hospitals,

increases health-care costs and the financial burden to families and societies.

• AMR jeopardizes health-care gains to society

The achievements of modern medicine are put at risk by AMR. Without effective

antimicrobials for care and prevention of infections, the success of treatments such as

organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy and major surgery will have to be

compromised.

• AMR threatens health security, and damages trade and economics

The growth of global trade and travel allows resistant microorganisms to be spread

rapidly to distant countries and continents.

Prospective ResearchDirectives:

Every living being is born with certain amount of vital power, which encompasses the innate and

acquired immunity, which defends every individual from all kinds of infection. This power

varies from individual to individual depending on various factors like lifestyle of parents and

preceding generation and certain internal and external factors. It is this vitality that influences the

auto-protective mechanism of the body and helps in the growth and repair. Consequently, it

becomes very important to maintain vitality. This is usually done by following the principles of

Life Natural.When we speak of vitality, the genetic make-up is always considered. Genetic

composition is a very complex mechanism and is relatively new to the science world.

Nevertheless, genetics is under intensive research and is rightly considered as the future of

research. Thus, indirectly we are at a stage of returning back to what Naturopaths have been

preaching all the time! It is after the revolutionary work of Gregor Mendel, Father of Genetics,

(which took almost a century for the scientific community to comprehend), that we have now

started talking about how the external forces influence even the genetic composition and is

carried on from one generation to the other! The concept of vitality is a very interesting area of

research and developing further the concept of health and disease at a molecular level.

Preventive Naturopathy:

Life Natural is living in tune with the constructive principles of nature to preserve and promote

health, also to prevent diseases. Keeping up the right mental attitude, practice of Yoga,

observance of principles of healthy living or the laws of Nature related to exercise, rest and

sleep, rational use of air, water and sun light, following the rules related to drinking and eating

habits; consumption of the right food; and protection of mother Nature are the basics of Life

Natural. This kind of a healthy life style is also known as living nearer to nature which ensures a

perfect, symmetrical, synchronized functioning of the body and mind. This helps to improve the

immune power and ensures prevention of all diseases.

Violation of nature’s laws or living away from the nature leads to lowered vitality

diminishes the immune power, causes accumulation of toxins, abnormal composition of blood

and lymph, leading to poor health and the individual becomes prone to all kinds of

infections&diseases. To regain the lost health, at this stage one has to resort to Naturopathy.

Health Vs Disease Approach:

Aaron Antonovsky,a professor of medical sociology, coined a very interesting term –

‘salutogenesis’ (Latin ‘salus’ - health; Greek ‘genesis” - origin). The term describes an approach

focusing on factors that support human health and well-being, rather than on factors that cause

disease or its management. Antonovsky's theories reject the "traditional medical-model

dichotomy separating health and illness". He described the relationship as a continuous variable,

what he called the "health-ease versus dis-ease continuum.

An apt analogy is presented by Lindlahr which makes it easier to comprehendthe concept

of bacteria as propounded by traditional Naturopaths– Just as yeast cells are not only the cause

but also the product of sugar fermentation, so disease germs are not only a cause (secondary), but

also a product of morbid fermentation in the system. Furthermore, just as the yeast germs live on

and decompose sugar, so the disease germs live on and decompose morbid matter and systemic

poisons. In a way, therefore, micro-organisms are just as much the product as the cause of

disease, and act as scavengers or eliminators of morbid matter. In order to hold in check the

destructive activity of bacteria and to prevent their multiplication beyond danger point, Nature

resorts to inflammation and manufactures her own ‘antitoxins’. On the other hand, whatever

tends to build upthe blood on a natural basis, to promote elimination of morbid matter and

thereby to limit the activity of destructive microorganisms without injuring the body or

depressing its vital functions, is good Nature Cure practice. The first consideration, therefore, in

the treatment of inflammation must be to not interfere with its natural course.

Conclusion:

The dictates of Naturopathy medicine may be anecdotal but undoubtedly based on common

sense. the danger from germ and other infectious diseases lies just as much or more so in internal

filth as in external uncleanliness. Cleanliness and asepsis must go hand in hand with the

purification of the inner man in order to insure natural immunity. Naturopathy has a complete

holistic approach. In addition to LifeNatural, Naturopathy also practices the drugless medicine

for reversal and total eradication of various diseases considering the Physical, Mental, Emotional

and Intellectual planes of the individual, rather than managing individual symptoms as is the case

with antibiotics. Though antibiotics had created quite a stir in the early twentieth century and

looked like a promising solution for treating diseases, it has failed on many aspects – resistance,

expenses, side-effects etc. Thus, in the twenty-first, a completely new outlook is justified and

Naturopathy science is the closest in delivering results because it is a drugless system in its true

sense and commercially viable as well. Thus, it is time to explore and find appropriate ways to

examine the age-old philosophy of Nature Cure which states that bacteria are just the secondary

causes or manifestations of diseases!

Junior Research Fellow, Dept. of Science and Technology, Cognitive Science Initiative (DST-CSI), Govt. of India, SVYASA University, Bengaluru And Program Officer, Foundation for Assessment and Integration of Traditional Health Systems (FAITHS), Bengaluru E-mail: dhananjay.ghm@gmail.com

HENRY LINDLAHR

HENRY LINDLAHR