The primary aim of the European Ayurveda Association (EUAA) is that Ayurveda – an ancient, traditional, holistic system of health promotion, maintenance and healing – is available for everybody. To realize this, we want to achieve the following main objectives:
Europe-wide recognition of Ayurveda as Medical System
Pluralism in healthcare and patient choice is fast becoming the norm in all societies globally including the member states of the European Union and European Economic Arena. Ayurveda has been recognized as a traditional holistic medicine system by the World Health Organization (WHO)*. Patients today therefore have a free and wider choice of therapies and can decide for Ayurveda: a natural diagnostic and therapeutic and health promoting and disease preventing system for the improvement of health and well-being of the individual. By encouraging the growth of patient choice and pluralism in healthcare and promotion of healthcare via safe and effective health promoting and disease preventing systems of medicine like Ayurveda and Yoga and other ancient systems the wellbeing of the individual, populations and Society is enabled. Thus by offering safer and a wider choice of health systems in European countries better health outcomes are possible and in turn health budgets are relieved.
Recognition of educational standards for Ayurvedic professions
Clear guidelines for Ayurvedic health care professions ensure high-quality trainings and vocational qualifications. These training guidelines are recognized by medical associations, associations for non-medical practitioners, other health organisations (e.g. physiotherapists, masseurs) and government health services. Licensed Ayurvedic training are promoted or integrated into other health vocational trainings. The “Benchmarks for training in Ayurveda” is an example of the efforts taken by the WHO as a call to harmonize Ayurveda globally. Similar guidelines have to be enabled for the European Union and for each of the member state of the European Union.
Recognition of quality standards for Ayurveda products
Quality standards for Ayurvedic products ensures the safety of patients. These standards have to be recognized by the EU supervisory authorities and national health authorities. Legislative bodies must involve the representatives of the Ayurvedic community in an advisory capacity in the development of laws and policies impacting Ayurveda in Europe.
Read more about how we want to realize these goals and the results we have achieved to date.
* Traditional medicine is defined by WHO as “the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness”.
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