Bridging Traditional Wisdom with Modern Science-In context of Ayurveda Research Methodologies

Prof. Iraj Ratnayake Prof in the Department of Tourism Management, Sabaragamuva University Equity and Inclusion: Reforming the Future of Wellness

         Iraj Ratnayake is a Professor in Tourism with more than two and half decades of successful academic career. He served as the Head of the Department of Tourism Management and the founder Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. His literary presentations mainly encompass tourism planning and development. Besides engaging in research and writing, he participates actively in training and consultation projects including, recreational planning, Ayurveda health tourism, wellness facility development and management. He is a member of the Board of Ayurveda Education and Hospitals and the Chairperson of the Ayurveda Examination Board of the Department of Ayurveda, Sri Lanka. Iraj has a lifelong passion for the development and promotion of wellness education in Sri Lanka.

Equity and Inclusion: Reforming the Future of Wellness

I am delighted to deliver this invited speech at the 2nd International Research Symposium jointly hosted by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya and the Department of Ayurveda, Sri Lanka. Today, I invite you to explore the essence of wellness in our contemporary societies and its role in the future context in particular. Wellness is an essential aspect of human life that has historically evolved through ancient civilisations up until now. The pieces of historical evidence from many parts of the world validate its integration with our lives over the centuries. For instance, wellness in ancient Greece and Rome, Indian Ayurveda, Arab and Persian medicine of the Islamic world, Japanese Onsen tradition, American Indian healing, Thai herbals and massages, traditional Chinese medicine, Indonesian Jamu, wellness traditions before and after the Renaissance in the European continent and even in small island nations like Sri Lanka where its wellness practices perhaps move back to well over 3rd century BC. These are truly endowments of global culture, wisdom, and heritage that play a significant role in shaping our wellness. Today, our achievements on many fronts in human development such as life expectancy at birth, for example, have shown a considerable improvement over the years. However, according to the World Health Organisation (2024), 17 million non-communicable disease (NCD) deaths occur before the age of 70 years. Of these premature deaths, 86 per cent are estimated to occur in low- and middle-income countries. Children, adults and the elderly are all vulnerable to many risk factors contributing to NCDs, which fall broadly within behavioural, metabolic, and environmental categories. As a result, healthcare costs have been rising since the 20^th century creating an extra burden on national economies. The wellness sector can play an indispensable role in reversing this phenomenon. However, its reach for the wider cross-section of society is still questionable. Equity and inclusion in wellness are uncompromisable and there is a pressing need to go beyond the personal level reaching out to groups, organisations, and communities, by and large. The interdependent nature of wellness allows us to become more aware, connected and engaged with others and the environment. This leads to developing and fostering symbiotic relationships for the wellness of people and the planet. To make this happen our future wellness solutions must be cost-effective and at the same time, we need to make sure that people are truly benefiting directly from their health-conscious consumption. Establishing and maintaining the balance and harmony between the main domains of life (body, mind, and spirit) will no longer be possible by any superficial means alone. Hence, the wellness sector needs to adapt and evolve to deliver personalised solutions tailored to the specific needs, preferences, genetic makeup and body constitution of consumers while assuring equity and inclusion. This demands a variety of professional services and products that promote physical, emotional, spiritual, social, occupational, and environmental wellness. Given this background, the wellness sector is likely to be characterised by innovation, personalisation, and digitalisation with a greater emphasis on holistic well-being. It is suggested that the future of wellness essentially be integrative, i.e. combining the wisdom of traditional medicine with modern science and technology.

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Sowing wellness: cultivating halophytes as a paradigm shift in medicinal crop production

WHO initiatives for traditional medicine

Recent developments in control of Zoonotic diseases and promotion of Veterinary Health through Ayurveda’ 

Vrikshayurveda and Satvarurveda for one health approach

Vidya Jyothi Prof.Vajira Dissanayake Prof of Medicine, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo.

        Vidya Jyothi Professor Vajira H. W. Dissanayake MBBS (Colombo), PhD (Nottingham), FNASSL, FIAHSI, FCMA, FRCP (Lond) is the Dean of the Faculty and Senior Professor (Chair) of the Department of Anatomy, Genetics, and Biomedical Informatics of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. He has spearheaded various initiatives in the fields of genetics, genomics, biomedical informatics and bioethics in Sri Lanka and globally. He and his team has authored more than 175 paper that have been published in international peer reviewed journals and received more than 40 local and international awards for their work. He has an h-index of 24; i-10 index of 76; and a citation count of 2699. In recognition of his scientific achievements he was elected a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences of Sri Lanka in 2013 – the youngest fellow of the Academy at that time, a fellow of the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics in 2020 – the first Sri Lankan fellow of the Academy, a Fellow of the Commonwealth Medical Association in 2023, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2024 and conferred the Sri Lankan national titular honour of Vidya Jyothi in 2019.

        He has held various leadership positions in Sri Lanka and internationally including the following: President, Sri Lanka Medical Association (2012); President, Health Informatics Society of Sri Lanka (2009-2019); President, Commonwealth Medical Association (2016- 2019); President, Asia Pacific Association for Medical Informatics (2019-2020); Board Member, Steering Committee, Forum for Ethical Review Committees in Asia and the Western Pacific (since 2010); Chairperson, Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health (since 2018); Chairperson, Commonwealth Health Professions and Partners Alliance (2021-2022); Chairperson of the Board, Global Genomic Medicine Collaborative (since 2022). He is the current President of the Sri Lanka Medical Council.

Integrating Traditional Knowledge into Modern Healthcare Systems to enhance Health and Wellbeing

Toxic effects of pesticides and fertilizer on human, animal and ecosystem as a whole

Acute toxicity of a substance refers to immediate effects or even death from a single dose or repeated exposure over a short time. Acute toxicity is measured by LD50 and LC50 values. The smaller the LD50, the more toxic the substance is.  Toxicity depends on the chemical and physical properties of a substance. Chronic toxicity  or environmental toxicity refers to the effects of long-term, lower level exposures to a toxic substance. The effects of chronic exposure do not appear immediately after first exposure and may take years to produce symptoms. Toxic substances which have a tendency to accumulate, or which break down slowly in body tissues, usually represent the greatest chronic exposure hazard.

Pesticide is substance applied to kill or mitigate the actions of pest. With modern agriculture. ,pesticides have, become an essential item although it is intentionally applied to kill pests by knowing their toxic effects to human, animal and the ecosystem. Pesticides have many different modes of action, but in general cause biochemical changes which interfere with normal cell functions.  With realization of this aspect, there is a world trend of moving away from pesticides at least for a certain extent.

Heavy metal pollution in water resources as well as in soil has drawn attention in the recent past due to toxic effects which pose on human and animal due to the nonbiodegradable nature and biomagnification. Arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury rank among the priority metals due to public health concerns. Heavy metals damage the functions of the brain, lungs, kidney, liver, blood composition and other important organs.

In this lecture, Research carried out on pesticides, specially glyphosate issue in Sri Lanka and analysis of heavy metal impurities in imported fertilizes specially triple super phosphate, and alternatives to mitigate the adverse health effect of these chemicals to human, animal and ecosystem will be discussed.

Dr Mukesh Chawda Shree Dhootapapeshwar Ltd, 135, Nanubhai Desai Road, Khetwadi, Mumbai – 400004, INDIA

        Dr Mukesh B Chawda (B.A.M.S. (Mumbai)) is currently serving as the Senior Manager in Medical Services representative of Solumiks Herbaceuticals Limited and A Shree Dhootapapeshwar Limited Enterprise, Mumbai. With the vision of transforming Traditions into Science, he has been actively engaged in research and development for more than 25 years.  He has been engaged in planning and executing of product studies including clinical, experimental and toxicity studies, new product conceptualization, registration and launch, preparation of communication for Vaidyas and Doctors based on the study data and conducting CME program for Doctors. He has produced more than 30 publications in many reputed peer reviewed journals such as Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, and Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine. He showed his expertise in playing key roles in initiation, execution and completion of collaborative research projects and publication with major institutes such as Indian Institute of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Powai, Mumbai, National Institute of Ayurved, Jaipur, National Centre for Preclinical Reproductive and Genetic Toxicology, National Centre for Preclinical Reproductive and Genetic Toxicology, and National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health.

Addressing Unmet needs in Knee Osteoarthritis Management through Traditional Medicines

Ageing is associated with an increased risk of diseases related to musculoskeletal disorders which include conditions that affect joints (osteoarthritis), bones (osteoporosis), muscles and the spine. Globally, hip and knee osteoarthritis is ranked 11th as a contributing condition to disability and its prevalence is increasing in most countries.¹ It is estimated that approximately 250 million people worldwide suffer from osteoarthritis (OA).² An increasing trend in the prevalence of OA is observed during the last decades. Around 85% of OA burden worldwide is related to Knee OA, with an estimated prevalence of 10% in men and 13% in women aged 60 and above.² Knee OA is characterized by the progressive loss of articular cartilage and remodeling of the underlying bone. Factors such as excess weight, joint trauma and weakness of the quadriceps muscle are identified as some of the risk factors for developing Knee OA. The initiation, progression, and severity of knee osteoarthritis (OA) have been linked with decreased muscle strength and alterations in joint biomechanics.³ OA treatment is challenging. In absence of any effective therapeutic option to stop OA from developing or progressing, the gold-standard end stage therapy is total joint replacement surgery. Pain management and lifestyle changes are the only available therapeutic option for low-grade OA. Traditional medicines can contribute to safe and effective management of Knee OA by addressing the cause and its effect. 

1. Muhammad, T., Maurya, P. & Sharma, P. (2021). Prevalence and correlates of bone and joint diseases and its association with falls among older adults in India: Evidence from LASI, 2017–18. Geriatric Nursing, 42(5), 1143–1150.
2. Primorac, D.; Molnar, V.; Matiši´c, V.; Hudetz, D.; Jeleˇc, Ž.; Rod, E.; Cˇ ukelj, F.; Vidovic´, D.; Vrdoljak, T.; Dobriˇci´c, B.; et al. Comprehensive Review of Knee Osteoarthritis Pharmacological Treatment and the Latest Professional Societies’ Guidelines. Pharmaceuticals 2021, 14, 205. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph 14030205
3. Vincent KR, Vincent HK. Resistance exercise for knee osteoarthritis. PM R. 2012 May;4(5 Suppl):S45-52. doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2012.01.019. PMID: 22632702; PMCID: PMC3635671.