Aids and Ayurveda (The Ayurvedic Concepts of AIDS and Its Management)

Dr. Shetti Suresh Babu MD (Kaya Cikitsa) is a renowned Writer, Teacher, Practioner and Researcher of Ayurveda for more than three decades. He hails from a Traditional Ayurvedic Family, his father (Late) Dr. S. Nagabhusham as well as his grand father were popular physicians of their times.

Dr. S. Suresh Babu is presently working as Dean and Prof at NKJ Ayurvedic Medical College and PG Centre, Bidar. He has won 'Vaidya Ratna P. S. Warrier prize' of Arya Vaidya Shala, Kottakal, a premier institute of Ayurveda for "Best Thesis" three times consecutively in the years - 1994, 1995 and 1996. Dr. S. Suresh Babu received State Govt. Award for best teacher in the category of university teachers on 5-9-2002, teacher's day. Honourable N. Chandra Babu Naidu, then Chief Minister, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, presented the Award.

Dr. S. Suresh Babu, has many publications to his credit. Some of them are - 1. Research Methodology for Ayurvedic PG Scholors. 2. Geriatrics in Ayurveda. 3. Myopathy in Ayurveda. 4. Astanga Samgraha (Surra Sthana) students edition and 5. Yogaratnakar (English Translation).

The fact that an overwhelming majority of AIDS patients in India have been between 20 to 40 years of age, they are the most productive group, economically and reproductively, makes an extra-ordinary significance to AIDS. There is a lot of controversy regarding the origin of AIDS, how and where it started including allegations of racism. Hyptothesises ranging from absurd to plausible have been put forth indicating probable involvement of retroviruses of animals, particularly monkeys. In midst of these attacks and counter attacks, some in an attempt to diffuse the situation, has spoken words of wisdom. Among the most relevant ones are the words from Knnetha Kaunda, the then President of Zambia, who had lost one son to AIDS. He stated:

"What is more important than knowing where this disease came from is where is where it is going.

This has been adopted as a theme-line of this book. In different ways the infected men can spread the HIV-virus, they are much more likely to spread the infection than infected women, both due to biological differences as well as frequency and variety in the modes of transmission. For example, a single infected migrant worker can pass the virus to several prostitutes, call-girls, by donating blood (if not screed effectively) and also to his wife in rural area and ultimately to his 'unborn child'. This the epedemic of HIV is evolving in an explosive and exponential way, and this calls for an united front consisting of different systems of medicine.

The massive invasion of HIV/AIDS in India during the last 25 years, reminds us one such explosion took place in India. In the early part of 16th century AD (when there was no Allopathic/Modern medicine in any part of the world). The Portuguese invaders (soldiers) brought the syphilis a sexually transmitted disease (STD) along with them in addition to warfare.

Fortunately, at that time Ayurveda was flourishing well with research-conscious physicians like Bhava Mishra, who extensively worked on this 'New disease entry' and found-out. The pathogenesis, as well as treatment popularly known as samprapti and chikitsa in Ayurveda parlance. He successfully treated it with a new drug Madhusnubi rasayan and eventually described this New phenomenon in his great classic Bhava Prakasha under the name of Phiranga roga meaning the disease carried by invading Portuguese soldiers. Later on many other drugs were also added by other physicians of that time and handled the explosive health problem very efficiently.

This success story should enthuse the spirit of invention to explore further on this modern plague called AIDS/HIV+.

As a humble contribution in this direction, the present book is written so as to put-forth, the age old Ayurvedic concepts, inputs, classical references and in addition modern concepts and the bits and pieces from various ongoing research projects are also included in this book.

I hope this book will serve as the ring-side view of Ayurveda on AIDS and help the ongoing research in a positive sence.