Abstract

The response of contemporary healthcare systems to the unexpected emergence of COVID-19 has provided us with a compelling cause to investigate and close gaps in our understanding of human health. Although the current healthcare system, which is mostly comprised of allopathy or biomedicine, has made significant strides in the treatment of communicable illnesses, it has yet to demonstrate its efficacy in the treatment of non-communicable disorders (NCDs). Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) systems that have been time tested and have survived for thousands of years due to the trust invested by a large number of people. CAM systems such as Ayurveda, Siddha, Naturopathy, Yoga, and Homeopathy, have also demonstrated some very significant results in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19 and other NCDs. Integrative Medicine seeks to bridge the gap between complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies (e.g., yoga, acupuncture, and ayurveda therapy) and conventional medicine which possess some high-quality empirical evidence of efficacy and safety. The ultimate objective is to develop interdisciplinary expertise and therapeutic synergy between conventional and alternative therapies in order to help patients reach optimal health.

Key words: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Covid-19, Integrative Healthcare, Modern medicine, Non-communicable diseases