Albert Sandra, Nongrum Melari, Webb Emily L, Porter John D H, Kharkongor Glenn C
Indian Institute of Public Health, Shillong, India.
Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India.
Trop Med Int Health. 2015 Jul;20(7):952-60. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12499. Epub 2015 Mar 31.
The government of India is promoting and increasing investment in the traditional medicine systems of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) in the northeast region of India. But there are few empirical data that support this policy decision. This study estimates the awareness and use of the different medical systems in rural Meghalaya, a state in north-east India with a predominantly ethnic tribal population.
We conducted a cross-sectional multistage random sample household survey across all districts of Meghalaya. To enable appropriate estimates for the whole of rural Meghalaya, the data were weighted to allow for the probability of selection of households at each stage of the sampling process.
Both local tribal medicine and biomedicine were widely accepted and used, but the majority (68.7%, 95% CI: 51.9-81.7) had not heard of AYUSH and even fewer had used it. Tribal medicine was used (79.1%, 95% CI 66.3-88.0), thought to be effective (87.5%, 95% CI: 74.2-94.1) and given in a variety of disorders, including both minor and major diseases. In the 3 months prior to the survey, 46.2% (95% CI: 30.5-62.8) had used tribal medicine. Only 10.5% (95% CI: 6.1-17.6) reported ever using any of the AYUSH systems.
Our comparative estimates of the awareness and use of tribal medicine, different systems of AYUSH and of biomedicine among indigenous populations of India question the basis on which AYUSH is promoted in the northeast region of India and in the state of Meghalaya in particular.
印度政府正在印度东北地区推广并增加对阿育吠陀、瑜伽、尤那尼、悉达和顺势疗法（阿育吠陀医学体系）的投资。但几乎没有实证数据支持这一政策决定。本研究评估了印度东北部梅加拉亚邦农村地区对不同医疗体系的认知和使用情况，该邦主要为少数民族部落人口。
我们在梅加拉亚邦所有地区开展了一项多阶段随机抽样的横断面家庭调查。为了对整个梅加拉亚邦农村地区进行适当估计，对数据进行了加权处理，以考虑在抽样过程每个阶段选择家庭的概率。
当地部落医学和生物医学都被广泛接受和使用，但大多数人（68.7%，95%置信区间：51.9 - 81.7）从未听说过阿育吠陀医学体系，使用过的人更少。部落医学被使用（79.1%，95%置信区间66.3 - 88.0），被认为有效（87.5%，95%置信区间：74.2 - 94.1），用于治疗各种疾病，包括轻症和重症。在调查前的3个月内，46.2%（95%置信区间：30.5 - 62.8）的人使用过部落医学。只有10.5%（95%置信区间：6.1 - 17.6）的人报告曾使用过任何一种阿育吠陀医学体系。
我们对印度本土人口中部落医学、不同阿育吠陀医学体系和生物医学的认知及使用情况的比较评估，对在印度东北地区尤其是梅加拉亚邦推广阿育吠陀医学体系的依据提出了质疑。
