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The institutional agenda of the Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) is derived from its vision: “to revitalize Indian medical”. FRLHT has identified three thrust areas to fulfill this vision.
These are:
i) Conserving natural resources used by Indian Systems of Medicine [C]
ii) Demonstrating contemporary relevance of theory and practice of Indian Systems of
Medicine [D]
iii) Revitalisation of social processes (institutional, oral and commercial) for transmission of
traditional knowledge of health care for its wider use and application [R]
All the current programmes and projects of FRLHT can be covered under these three thrust areas.
The following paragraphs cover briefly the scope of activities being carried out as well as those envisaged, under the three thrust areas mentioned above.
In operational terms the FRLHT has articulated specific programmes and sub-programmes under each of the thrust areas. For instance, under the first thrust area viz., “Conserving natural resources used by Indian Systems of Medicine”, FRLHT concentrates on research programmes involving studies related to: inventorising medicinal plants in different forest types; threat assessment; saving species on the verge of extinction and sustainable harvest. Under this thrust area, FRLHT also undertakes other important programmes related to efforts towards development of databases and establishment of a bio-cultural herbarium and raw-drug repository of the plants of India.
In the second thrust area viz., “Demonstrating contemporary relevance of theory and practice of Indian systems of medicine”, FRLHT engages in major programmes such as assessment and documentation of local health practices prevalent in different rural and urban communities. It also has a major programme related to interpretation of traditional medical theories and practices with the use of scientific laboratory tools. Other programmes under this thrust area include creation of traditional knowledge databases and development of methodologies for cross-cultural medical research.
The third thrust area deals with the “Revitalisation of social processes” (institutional, oral and commercial) for transmission of traditional knowledge of health care and the main programmes under this thrust area are; building decentralized associations of folk healers and self-help women groups and promoting community-owned enterprises. A major initiative under this thrust area, for influencing institutional processes, is the development of a research hospital, pharmacy and a post-graduate training institute. These are currently being planned. It is anticipated that these will be instrumental in bringing into the mainstream Ayurveda, yoga & folk medicine.
that portrays all the institutional activities currently being pursued at FRLHT in order to achieve the stated vision.
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