Integrating AYUSH with NPCDCS: Enhancing Traditional Medicine’s Role in NCD Management

India faces a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, which together account for a significant share of deaths every year. To tackle this, the government launched the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS). But modern medicine alone cannot solve a problem rooted in lifestyle, diet, and stress. This is where the integration of AYUSH – Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy – comes in as a strategic complement to mainstream healthcare.

Why AYUSH was integrated with NPCDCS 🔗

NPCDCS was launched in 2010 with the aim of health promotion, early screening, diagnosis, and management of major NCDs. However, NCDs are largely lifestyle-related conditions that demand long-term, often lifelong, care. Conventional treatment can be expensive and may not always address the root causes such as poor diet, sedentary behaviour, and stress.

Recognising this gap, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare made AYUSH integration one of the mandates of NPCDCS. AYUSH systems emphasise prevention, healthy lifestyles, and holistic management, making them a natural fit for an NCD programme. The thinking was simple: by combining the strengths of modern medicine with traditional systems, India could reduce its NCD burden in a more sustainable and affordable way.

Objectives of the integration 🔗

The integration framework outlines several clear goals. These include using Ayurveda for promotion, prevention, and control of NCDs through NPCDCS, ensuring early diagnosis through lifestyle and behavioural changes, reducing drug dependency in chronic cases using Ayurveda, Yoga, and lifestyle interventions, and providing adjuvant therapy to reduce complications. The plan also includes capacity building of AYUSH practitioners and continuous monitoring of NCD outcomes.

Collaboration with AYUSH systems 🔗

The integration is led by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) and the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), along with other research councils under the Ministry of AYUSH, working in collaboration with the Directorate General of Health Services. Each system contributes its unique strengths.

Ayurveda 🔗

Ayurveda focuses on balancing body humours through diet, herbal medicines, and lifestyle correction. Classical Ayurvedic formulations such as Saptavimshatika Guggulu, Haridra Churna, Nisha Amalaki, Chandraprabha Vati, and Gokshuradi Guggulu have been clinically evaluated for managing conditions like type II diabetes and hypertension.

Yoga and Naturopathy 🔗

Yoga is a key non-pharmacological intervention for NCDs. Regular practice helps lower blood pressure, improve glucose control, manage stress, and support cardiovascular health. It has been promoted in NPCDCS centres as part of lifestyle interventions alongside dietary advice.

Homoeopathy 🔗

The Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy implements the programme in selected districts. Homoeopathy is positioned as a complementary support, particularly for managing symptoms, improving quality of life, and addressing co-existing conditions.

Unani and Siddha 🔗

Unani interventions have been rolled out in districts like Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, while Siddha contributes through region-specific traditional formulations. These systems add depth to the integrated approach, especially in areas where they have strong cultural acceptance.

Pilot projects and their reach 🔗

The flagship pilot project, conceived in 2015 and rolled out in early 2016, was titled “Integration of AYUSH (Ayurveda) with NPCDCS”. It began in three districts of three states – Bhilwara in Rajasthan, Gaya in Bihar, and Surendranagar in Gujarat. Together, these covered 49 Community Health Centres (CHCs), 3 District Hospitals, and 189 Primary Health Centres (PHCs).

In parallel, a Homoeopathy and Yoga integration pilot was launched in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh in 2016, with a similar effort later extended to Darjeeling district of West Bengal under CCRH. A Unani-based intervention was added in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh.

Screening and enrolment 🔗

The reach of these pilots has been substantial. According to a review published in Frontiers in Medicine, over 1.89 million patients were screened and around 175,000 enrolled across three pilot districts under the NPCDCS-AYUSH project. The screening drives focused on the population above 30 years of age, identifying those at risk of diabetes, hypertension, and other NCDs.

Treatment protocols 🔗

Enrolled patients were divided into cohorts: a pre-disease group (people at risk) and a disease group (those already diagnosed). Each cohort was further subdivided to compare standard care alone with standard care combined with Ayurveda interventions, lifestyle modification, and Yoga.

Outcomes of the pilot projects 🔗

The clinical evidence emerging from these pilots has been encouraging, particularly for diabetes and hypertension.

Diabetes management 🔗

A study at Gaya district analysing patient outcomes between April 2016 and December 2017 evaluated the effect of Ayurveda intervention, lifestyle modification, and Yoga in prediabetic and type 2 diabetes patients under the NPCDCS-AYUSH integration project. The integrated approach showed improvements in fasting blood sugar, post-prandial glucose, and HbA1c levels, suggesting that traditional medicine combined with lifestyle changes can support glycaemic control.

Hypertension management 🔗

A retrospective observational study across all three pilot districts examined patients aged 30 to 60 with essential hypertension who completed six months of integrated management. The findings indicated that Ayurveda medication along with lifestyle management and Yoga effectively controlled systolic and diastolic blood pressure and helped reduce or discontinue the dose of conventional medicines in many participants.

Awareness and behavioural change 🔗

Beyond clinical numbers, pilots also focused on awareness. Health camps, school education programmes, and community engagement helped spread messages about smoking cessation, physical activity, balanced diets, and stress management. Interestingly, Brahma Kumaris centres collaborated with NPCDCS-AYUSH project staff in Bhilwara to train doctors and patients in meditation and lifestyle practices.

Benefits of integrating AYUSH with NPCDCS 🔗

The integration brings several practical and strategic benefits, especially relevant in a resource-limited public health system.

Cost-effectiveness 🔗

NCDs require long-term, often lifelong, management, and the cost of conventional medication can be a major burden. The official training manual highlights that integration of Ayurveda can provide cost-effective management of NCDs and strengthen the primary healthcare network. Generic AYUSH formulations are typically cheaper than many branded modern drugs and can be produced locally using indigenous raw materials.

Extended shelf life of AYUSH medicines 🔗

Many classical Ayurvedic and Unani preparations – particularly Bhasmas, Rasayanas, Vatis, and Churnas – have a longer shelf life compared to several modern pharmaceutical drugs. This is an operational advantage in rural and remote areas where supply chains can be unreliable and storage facilities are limited, reducing wastage and ensuring better availability at PHCs and CHCs.

Holistic and preventive focus 🔗

A key value of AYUSH lies in its focus on prevention. NCDs are largely caused by modifiable risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and stress. AYUSH systems naturally emphasise these areas through dietary regimens, daily routines (Dinacharya), seasonal regimens (Ritucharya), Yoga, and meditation, making them a strong fit for preventive care.

Reducing drug dependency 🔗

One of the explicit objectives of the integration is to reduce drug dependency in chronic conditions. As seen in the hypertension study, integrated management often allowed for a reduction or discontinuation of conventional medication doses, lowering side-effect risks and patient pill burden.

Cultural acceptability and trust 🔗

Traditional medicine is deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of Indian society. A review on advancing the One Health approach notes that Ayush systems contribute significantly to NCD prevention and management, partly because patients are more likely to adhere to therapies that align with their cultural beliefs and family practices.

Strengthening the health workforce 🔗

India has a vast network of AYUSH practitioners. Engaging them in NCD screening, counselling, and referral expands the public health workforce without massive new investments. The National AYUSH Mission, revised in 2021-22, has incorporated eight AYUSH public health programmes, including NPCDCS integration, signalling a long-term commitment to mainstreaming AYUSH.

Scaling up and the way forward 🔗

Given the encouraging outcomes of the pilots, the government has been working to scale up the AYUSH-NPCDCS integration. AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres under the Ayushman Bharat scheme are being positioned as delivery points for preventive NCD services. Coordination between AYUSH centres and NPCDCS cells at the district and CHC levels is being strengthened.

Challenges remain. These include standardising AYUSH medicines, generating more rigorous clinical evidence, ensuring quality control of formulations, integrating digital health records, and overcoming scepticism from sections of the medical community. Continued research, transparent reporting of outcomes, and robust monitoring are essential to make the integration truly evidence-based and scalable across the country.

What do you think? Should AYUSH integration become a permanent and universal component of every Indian NCD programme, or should it remain an optional adjunct based on patient choice? And how can scientific rigour be balanced with the holistic philosophy of traditional medicine in public health policy?

References

1. https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/Guidelines%20and%20Training%20Mannual%20on%20Integration%20of%20%20Ayurveda%20in%20NPCDCS_0.pdf
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8377180/
3. https://www.business-standard.com/article/government-press-release/shri-shripad-naik-launches-pilot-project-integration-of-homoeopathy-yoga-with-116021601103_1.html
4. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1629515/full
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6892000/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34362604/
7. https://www.bkmedicalwing.org/brahma-kumaris-centres-supporting-pilot-study-of-npcdcs-ayush-project-at-two-selected-districts/
8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10657047/
9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11927822/