THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The fourth edition of Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF 2020) will get underway on May 16 at the Adlux International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Angamaly.
The Brochure for the five-day GAF 2020 was released in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday by KK Shylaja Teacher, Minister for Health and Social Justice, Govt of Kerala. The function was attended by MLAs V S Sivakumar, O Rajagopal, and Roji John, who is also the Vice-Chairman of GAF 2020. The Minister released the brochure by handing over a copy to O Rajagopal MLA.
Promising all support from the state government for the smooth conduct of the Global Ayurveda Festival, K K Shylaja Teacher said that it is important that Ayurveda also needs to be put on an esteemed pedestal, even as the modern systems of medicine see growth. Ayurveda is capable of adding to the immunity of the body and keeping ailments at bay. With good levels of immunity, even diseases like Corona would stay off.
It needs to be noted that the negative impacts of lifestyle changes have paved the way for ailments to affect the human body. By practising lifestyle norms as suggested by Ayurveda, diseases could be kept away, the Minister added. She also added that the government is fast giving shape to an Ayurveda research centre in the state.
Speaking at the function, V S Sivakumar MLA, who presided, said that Ayurveda has the capability to help prevent communicable diseases and lifestyle ailments. Such diseases have crept in among us due to the fact that we have long forgotten the essence of Ayurveda. Further, Ayurveda has also proved that it has all in it to help boost the tourism as well as economic scenario in Kerala.
Pointing out that Ayurveda is an ancient science that should never be forgottenCISSA, O Rajagopal MLA said that added reseach in Ayurveda is the need of the hour. He also lauded the state government’s efforts in building a research centre for Ayurveda in Kannur.
Launching the GAF 2020 website at the function, Roji John MLA said that he expects the Global Ayurveda Festival to be a mega carnival of all stakeholders in the Ayurveda domain.
GAF2020 is being organised by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA), in association with the Central and State Governments, the Ayush, Industry and Commerce, Tourism, and organisations such as Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI), Ayurveda Hospital Management Association, Ayurveda Medicine Manufacturers Organisation of India, Drug Manufacturers Association, and others. V Muraleedharan, Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs is the Chairman of GAF 2020, while Shripad Yesso Naik, Union Minister of State (IC) for Ayush, and KK Shylaja Teacher, Minster for Health and Social Justice, Govt of Kerala are patrons. Dr P Madhavankutty Warrier is the working chairman, Dr GG Gangadharan is the Secretary General and Dr C Suresh Kumar is the Chief Coordinator for GAF 2020.
Envisaged as a conclave to make the most needed dialogue on Ayurveda happen in a contemporary setting, the Global Ayurveda Festival 2020 will run for 5 days from May 16 to 20, 2020. This time around, GAF will have three major components – an International Seminar, a Global Ayurveda Exhibition and an International Cooperation Conclave.
The Global Ayurveda Festival 2020 will witness the presence of the best among the international Ayurveda fraternity, who would converge in Angamaly to learn, experience, collaborate, progress and expand. GAF 202 is being lined up as an event that would meet the needs of all – from students to scientists, from practitioners to policy makers and from educationalists to entrepreneurs.
Planned as a truly global festival, GAF 2020 will be a platform to coordinate the efforts of all committed members from various countries to place Ayurveda as a global system of medicine. The stakeholders from many countries will share their experiences, needs and ideas for collaborations as they look at Ayurveda as something worth depend upon.
The last edition of GAF had encouraging participation of stakeholders from the world over, precisely from 42 countries. This time around, the numbers are expected to be higher.
The mega event will be a platform for global players, policy makers, practitioners and preachers to meet and transcend to the next level, in business, international facilitations, and universal health care. One of the themes of GAF 2020 will be Ayurveda Medical Tourism: Actualizing India’s Incredibility. GAF 2020 will bring together the world of Ayurveda’s medical/wellness care providers and its health seekers to one platform. Ayurveda Medical Tourism will be featured in all the three major components of GAF 2020, as plenary deliberations, exhibits and business explorations respectively.
Another theme would be Child Health – from Conception to Adolescence. GAF 2020 would take it as a responsibility to bring clarity and conviction to the true possibilities of Ayurveda in child care through a structured seminar on key aspects of child care, like Preparation to conceive a healthy child; Pregnancy Care; Post-natal care; Neonatal care; Immunization and Ayurveda; Paediatric nutrition; Praakaara yoga, Suvarnaprasa; Growth and Development; Common paediatric conditions and their management; Behavioural and psychological disorders; Developmental disorders; Genetics; and Healthy upbringing.
Prominent events at the Global Ayurveda Festival 2020 would include an ASEAN Meet on Traditional Medicines for Global Health; an International Delegate Assembly on Globalizing Ayurveda – Scope, Challenges and Solutions; a Panel Discussion on Ayurveda in Africa, which would assess India’s Preparedness; and a Special Session on Ayurveda Medical Tourism.
Besides, AYUSH Clinics, Workshops, Ayurveda Solidarity Meets, Ayurveda and Ethnic Food Carnivals, Book Fair, Documentary Film Festival and more will be part of the five day festival. The purpose of the seminar would be to expand the presence of Ayurveda, to place it effectively in public health domain and thus play a prominent role in child care and nation building.
