Lok Sabha Question No. 2212 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Pharmacovigilance initiative for AYUSH
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, DNV Senthilkumar. S., Manickam Tagore B, Supriya Sadanand Sule

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2212 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 RD SEPTEMBER, 2020

## PHARMACOVIGILANCE IN ITIATIVE FOR AYUSH

2212. SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA: DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE: DR. DNV SENTHILKUMAR S.: SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B.: SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

Will  the  Minister  of AYURVEDA,  YOGA  AND NATUROPATHY,  UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is implementing Central Sector Scheme of Pharmacovigilance initiative for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy drugs and if so, the details thereof and the objective thereto;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  implementing  Central Sector  Sche me  for  Promotion  of Information Education and Communication (IEC) for promotion and propagation of AYUSH Systems of Medicine;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the success achieved till dat  in the promotion of AYUSH system of medicine; and
- (d) the othe r steps taken by the Government to provide AYUSH system of medicine as an alternative alongwith  allopathic  system  in  Primary  Health  Centres, Community  Health Centres and district hospitals across all States in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a): Ministry of AYUSH has implemented a Central Sector Scheme of Pharmacovigilance of  Ayurvedic,  Siddha,  Unani  and  Homoeopathic  (ASU&H)  drugs  since  December,  2017. Through  this  scheme,  a  net work  of  National  Pharmacovigilance  Centre,  five  Intermediary system - wise PharmacovigilanceCentres and sixty three Peripheral PharmacovigilanceCentre has  been  established  and  made  functional  since  August  2018  to  inculcate  the  cultu reporting  Adverse  D rug  Events  and  misleading  advertisements  of  ASU&H  drugs  for regulatory action. Eleven more Peripheral Centres have recently been added to the net All  India  Institute  of  Ayurveda  (AIIA),  New  Delhi  is  designated  as  the  Nati Pharmacovigilance Coordin ation Centre (NPvCC) with five National AYUSH institutes as Intermediary Pharmacovigilance Centres (IPvCs) and seventy four Periphera Pharmacovigilance  Centres  (PPvCs)  distributed  across  the  country.  Project  Apprai Committee and Project Sanctioning Com mittee are set up under the scheme to consider the proposals related to pharmacovigilance activities and surveillance of misle advertisements.  Signal  Detection  Committee  and  Causality  Assessment  Committee  are constituted  under  the  pharmacovigilance  sc heme  to  analyze  the  adverse  effects  data  of ASU&H  medicines  reported  from  different  centres  and  make  recommendations,  if  any regulatory action is required. The pharmacovigilance centres have reported ASU&H dru related 8203 cases of misleading advertiseme nts and 463 cases of suspected Adverse Drug Events (186 from Ayurveda drugs, 70 from Siddha drugs, 151 from  Unani drugs and 56 fro Homoeopathic drugs)   up to August, 2020.

(b)  &  (c):  Yes,  the  Ministry  of  AYUSH  has  implemented  a  central  Sector  Scheme for promotion of  Information, Education and Communication (IEC) in AYUSH. Through this scheme,  Ayush  health  fairs  are  organizedat  State  and  National  level;and  multime campaigns, preparation and distribution of publicity material including audio visual m aterials aresupported. Financial assistance for organizing seminars, conferences etc is also pro eligible organizations.  Incentive is provided to Ayush industry for participating in fairs and health exhibitions. Presently, optimal utilizatio n of electronic and digital platforms is also being done for promoting and propagating AYUSH systems. Ministry of AYUSH has its  own  social  media  presence  with  a  lot  of  followers.Research  Councils  and  Nati Institutes  under  the  Ministry  of  AYUSH  are  also very  active  on  social  media  platforms. MyGov.in - a online platform of Government of India is also widely used to propagate promote various initiatives of the Ministry. Promotional efforts of Ministry of AYUS multifaceted to extend the outreach o f Ayush system by organizing quiz contests, blogging, podcasting,  webinars,  video - conferences,  weekly  publication  of  digital  newsletters  and repurposing of the activities of Research Councils and National Institutes in campaign

As  a  result  of  aforesaid  IEC  activities  visibility,  acceptability  and  accessi Ayush health services has enhanced, health seeking behavior of the people changed tow Ayush and viewership & readership increased.

(d) : Government  of  India  has  ado pted  a  strategy  of  co - locating  AYUSH  facilities  at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and District Hospital (DHs), thus enabling choice to the patients  for availing treatment of different sy medicine under same roof. Engagement of AYUSH Doctors/ paramedics in these health centres  and  their  training  is  supported  by  the  Department  of  Health  &  Family  Wel through  National  Health  Mission,  whereas  the  support  for  infrastructure,  equipme furniture and medicines is p rovided to the States/UTs by the Ministry of AYUSH through Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM).