CSIR, Ayush to jointly find ways to control diabetes

New Delhi: As India is on the verge of becoming a diabetic capital, the concerned government agencies are busy finding ways to help them in controlling the disease. The departments of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Ayush Ministry, Health Ministry, which are working in tandem, have pledged to promote herbal medicines by creating awareness among masses to control the disease.

In addition to it, the CSIR, a research arm of the Science & Technology Ministry, and Ayush Ministry would jointly launch a campaign to encourage diabetic patients to use ayurvedic drugs citing the findings of study reports which have validated that efficacy of herbal medicines are better than allopathic drugs.

According to CSIR officials, BGR-34, anti-diabetic drug, which is jointly developed by National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) is proving to be a game-changer in controlling the disease as the herbal drug is matching the efficacy level of any branded modern medicine in controlling sugar level.

Citing the findings of a recent report of All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), NBRI scientist AKS Rawat said that the CSIR-developed anti-diabetes drug has been adjudged as 20th best medicine out of 6,414 drugs of different brands.

Also, it's for the first time that an ayurvedic drug has found a place in the list which is mostly dominated by modern formulations, Rawat said.