The office of the High Commission of India, Lagos has partnered with nutritionists in Nigeria to introduce the ayurvedic concepts of nutrition. The concept was introduced to enhance nutritional status and address problems of malnutrition as well as resultant health issues like stunting, wasting and diseases among others.

Speaking at the commission’s office in Lagos to mark Diwali, India festival the Head of Chancery, Office of the High Commission of India, Lagos, Rachit Rawat, said the government of India, which has focused on improving nutritional status of the country to achieve the target of swastha bharat, which means ‘healthy India’, has extended the many initiatives being taken to promote Indian systems of medicine and age-old scientific traditions to Nigeria to address the problem of malnutrition and resultant health issues.

According to him, ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of life, is the complete well-being of mind, body, and social lifestyle and not just the absence of diseases and illness.

“An ayurvedic health system is a holistic approach that considers all the factors and not just the disease. It is both curative and preventive. It works uniquely in finding the root cause of a disease by taking different approaches toward specific health problems.”

“Ayurvedic treatment helps in creating a healthy and strong body by using different methods that involve a series of diet exercise, lifestyle practices, and ultimately ayurvedic medicines,” Rawat said.

He explained that undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases have been the greatest global health challenges, with its developmental, economic, social, and medical impacts severe on individuals, their families, communities and countries. Guardian