Complementary and Traditional Medicine for Diabetes Prevention in Aboriginal Community

This article discusses the application of complementary and traditional medicine, specifically Ayurveda, for preventing diabetes in the Australian Aboriginal community. It explores the benefits of Ayurveda and its effectiveness in improving health outcomes. The article also provides details about a healthcare promotional project aimed at spreading awareness and obtaining support for this traditional approach.

Running head: COMPLEMENTARY AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
COMPLEMENTARY AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE ASSIGNMENT
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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Introduction
Complementary and traditional medicine is a stream of healthcare that is followed in the
Australian society and with standard healthcare procedure; it is used extensively for the health
and wellbeing of communities (Gale, 2014). As per Gureje et al. (2015), there are several,
aspects of complementary and traditional medications that is used extensively by the Australian
population such as the naturopathy or the ayurveda, the homeopathy and the Chinese medication
therapy. Within this, ayurveda or naturopathy is termed as one of the crucial and critical
healthcare therapy used by the Australian population around the world and it was mentioned that
due to its ability to make balance between body, mind and spirit, it helped the population
utilising the Complementary and traditional medicine therapy as an important factor for their
mental as well as physical health and wellbeing (Adams, Tovey and Easthope, 2017).
Aboriginal community of Australia is one such community that have their own abilities
and believes in healthcare and they also have their own traditional medication therapy. However,
it was seen that majority of the community members are suffering from critical health condition,
namely diabetes and it was seen that every 1 in 10 Australian is suffering from diabetes condition
in Australia. Further, it is recorded that the number of individual affected with diabetes type 2 in
indigenous community, is 4 times higher than the non-indigenous community.
Hence, the primary aim of this grant proposal paper is to provide a detailed research
about the application of ayurveda for the increasing diabetes related health complication among
the population of aboriginal community and then provide a narrative of healthcare promotional
project. This would provide a detailed insight of the method, procedure, objectives outcome and

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evaluation of the project. Finally a budget for the complete health promotional program would be
developed so that a detailed funding structure could be obtained.
Thesis statement: application of complementary and traditional medicine Ayurveda or
naturopathy among the Australian aboriginal community for their diabetes condition is helpful in
preventing the occurrence and prevalence of disease.
Background and literature review
Prior to apply for the grant proposal to the Australian government, it is important that a
clear and concise understanding of the applied intervention could be conducted. In a research
conducted by Banerjee et al. (2015), the primary aim of the researchers was to analyse the
preventive and interventional aspect of ayurveda on diabetes and it was seen that in ayurveda, the
principles that are used to classify patients affected with diabetes are ‘sthula’ or obese and
‘Krisha pramehi’ or lean but affected with diabetes. It was observed in this review paper that
diabetes mellitus is a multifactorial medication that affects the population by 20 different stages
(Medagama and Bandara, 2014). Further, ayurveda also mentions that with application of proper
diet and medication, that affects the primary reasons, causes, features and therapeutic units of the
disease condition, prevention could be achieved (Rastogi, 2019). Further to treat the obese and
lean patient, the ayurveda provided a detailed assessment of the process. For obese individual,
the excess fat of the individual either could be purified thorugh processes or could be reduced
thorugh yoga, diet and medicines and hence therapeutic interventions of ayurveda for obese and
diabetic individual is equal to the modern healthcare approaches as mentioned by Peltzer et al.
(2015). Therefore, in such condition, it becomes important to answer the reason due to which this
ayurveda treatment is applied on the healthcare aboriginal communities, if they are having access

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to modern healthcare facilities. In such condition, it should be mentioned that Sharma et al.
(2015) identified aboriginal community as one of the most traditional and culturally strong
community in Australia, and as per the researchers. If they are provided with a choice of
traditional and modern medication, then they would be choosing the traditional healthcare
system. Hence, in such condition providing them with effective intervention collected from an
ancient traditional contemporary medication system would be helpful. Further DiNardo et al.
(2012) mentioned ayurveda as an evidence based collection of traditional remedies that helps to
create a balance between mind, body and soul and hence, it should be targeted for the
intervention of the Australian aboriginals affected with diabetes mellitus.
Another study was conducted by Dixit et al. (2014), in which the primary aim of the
researchers was to understand the conduct an assessment so that the primary effects of the
ayurveda treatment on the diabetes mellitus affected patients could be understood. Hence, the
researchers conducted a systematic review and collected all the randomized control trail related
articles and after the conduction of the research it was found that majority of the participants in
the 354 participants were able to improve their condition and it was seen that the patients who
were able to acquire good lifestyle, diet habit, yoga as their physical activity were able to
improve their patient condition. Another research with evidence based approach was conducted
by the researchers Sridharan et al. (2011), on which they aimed to understand the two primary
aspects of ayurveda management of diabetes and it was found that palliation and Bio-sensing are
two of the aspects that helps to improve the patient condition and with prolonged dose of
medicines, improved lifestyle and changes in the sedentary habits, it is possible to overcome the
health complication effectively.

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Hence, from this above mentioned discussion about the ayurveda treatment of the
diabetes condition helped to provide effective improvement against diabetes and thorugh the
effective diet, nutrition, lifestyle and abilities, they were able to overcome their health
complication effectively (DiNardo et al. 2012). However, the only concern is the acceptance of
this traditional approach among the aboriginal community as Marsh et al. (2015) mentioned that
they traditional bond is much stronger than any other Australian community. This would be
targeted in the healthcare promotional campaign for diabetes mellitus prevention among
Australian aboriginals thorugh the ayurveda complementary and traditional medicine.
Study aim and objectives
The primary aim of this project is to spread awareness about the benefit of ayurveda
complimentary medication for the prevention of diabetes mellitus among the aboriginal
community and it the process. To achieve this aim, few objectives would be developed and
worked on and these are:
 To make the community aware of the new and effective traditional healthcare
approach.
 To increase their trust of the traditional and complimentary interventions as they
have their own traditional healthcare approach
 To aware them of their critical health condition due to high risk or prevalence of
diabetes
 To obtain support for local government and the private NGOs for the conduction
of the process
 To grant funding for this health promotional program and achieve success.

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Project narrative
Method:
The community development project commenced in the 2018 winter, when all the
captured narratives were produced so that all the important aspects including the council, the
commission, reports and data could be included and a quantitative scheme could be developed.
All the type of variable that would be targeted in the healthcare campaign were analysed and
then a detailed analysis of maps, graphs, charts, and other visuals, including the demographic
characteristics of the chosen community including its gender; health outcomes; health behaviors;
and SDH could be included. Hence, this is the method which were used to develop the idea of
conducting a healthcare campaign for the aboriginal community.
Procedure:
The two and most primary procedure that the healthcare program would use for the
completion of the healthcare campaign for aboriginal community would be inclusion of
awareness and intervention among the important sections of the community around the Australia.
Further, with the help of healthcare communities, local government and communities awareness
would be spread to the localities where the number of Australian aboriginals is higher and hence,
thorugh this simple but effective approach awareness would be spread. Further, the communities
would be make ware of the ayurveda intervention and would be provided with complete details
so that they could trust the health campaign and the intervention due to its traditional approach.
After completion of the process, intervention would be applied with the help of traditional
healthcare professionals and communities would be educated so that they could implement food
and diet with physical activity in their own lifestyle.

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Objectives:
The objectives would be associated with this health promotional program would be:
 Prevent the number of prevalence of diabetes in the community
 Increase the number of individual trusting the traditional and complementary
medicine.
 To recommend the community with effective intervention for their physical
activity diet and nutritional aspect.
Outcome:
The expected outcome this healthcare program trust to achieve would be gaining the trust
of the aboriginal community so that they could implement this traditional approach in their
health complication and utilise the healthcare interventions for their health improvement and
diabetes prevention. Further it would also try to achieve the maximum prevention of diabetes
among the aboriginal community.
Evaluation and dissemination:
After conduction of the healthcare promotional program, a survey would be conducted
among the population, so that their acceptance about the ayurveda treatment for diabetes could
be understood. Further, after the implementation of the healthcare intervention, three months
later the healthcare intervention application, assessment would be conducted.

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Funding process (budget) (3 month)
Element description amount
awareness more than 20 awareness
program would be conducted
every month for this three
month project in the
communities of aboriginals
AUD 10,000 per month
intervention implementation all the ayurveda medicines,
treatment, and equipment
would be utilised for three
months
AUD 20,000 per month
employment ayurveda professionals,
nurses, indigenous nurses and
professionals and counsellors
would be employed,. Further
the NGO and self volunteers
would also be asked to join the
health promotional program
AUD 25,000 per month
supporting materials internet, posters, flyers, pen
pencil paper, computers
laptops, and other supporting
materials would be included
AUD 10,000
Total AUD 1,75,000

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References
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medicine: studies in social context. Routledge.
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Ayurveda in changing scenario of diabetes management for developing safe and effective
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