Sustainable health systems development through the integration of Ayurveda and Yoga into the conventional health system of Nepal: Enhancing health equity and community well-being in Nepal

Abstract

Background: According to a WHO report, 80% of the Nepali population relies on traditional medicinal practices for primary healthcare, particularly in rural and remote areas. The Government of Nepal has officially recognised Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Yoga, Homoeopathy, Sowa-Rigpa, and Acupuncture as part of its national traditional medicinal system. It is essential to integrate these traditional practices into the overall health system to develop sustainable healthcare solu-tions and improve health equity and community well-being. This narrative review aims to explore holistic healthcare approaches such as Ayurveda and Yoga integrating into Nepal’s health system for sustainable health system development from a development studies perspective.

Materials and Methods: This review utilised various published literature related to Ayurveda, Yoga, and Sustainable Development Goals. Searches were conducted on platforms such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, DOAJ, and ScienceDirect using keywords including “Ayur-veda,” “Yoga,” “Ayurveda or Yoga,” “Ayurveda and Yoga,” “Ayurveda and Yoga for Sustain-able Development Goals,” and “Sustainable Development Goals.” The collected data were ana-lysed and described qualitatively.

Results and Discussion: The government of Nepal should integrate Ayurveda and Yoga into the country’s health systems. This integration is an important step toward creating a sustainable healthcare system that promotes health equity and enhances community wellbeing. This com-bined model has the potential to empower individuals and communities, ensuring that health sys-tems are inclusive, culturally relevant, and sustainable in the long term.

Conclusion: The integration of Ayurveda and Yoga helps address gaps in the formal healthcare system, particularly in promotive, preventive, and rehabilitative care for chronic diseases related to pain and stress. This approach is especially beneficial for populations residing in remote areas with limited access to western medical facilities. This integration has greatly helped to improve overall well-being by focusing on holistic health.