Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Methods of health promotion and disease prevention in Unani medicine

Document Type : Original Article

Author

. Malik Itrat

Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Better preventive care is a prerequisite to foster community health and in reducing
the unnecessary burden on the health‑care system. The Unani System of Medicine has given due
emphasis on preventive care. This article aims to discuss the health promotion and disease prevention
approaches in Unani Medicine.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A manual literature survey of classical Unani texts such as
Firdaus‑al‑hikmat, Al Qanoon‑fit‑tib, Kitab‑al‑mansoori, Kitab‑al‑kulliyat, and Kitab‑al‑taisir was
conducted to collect the information available on the strategic approaches of health promotion and
disease prevention in Unani Medicine. To obtain the appropriate English equivalent words for Unani
terms and the scientific name of the drugs, “Standard Unani Medical Terminology” and “Classification
of Unani Drugs” were consulted, respectively.
RESULTS: The findings of the literature survey revealed that Unani physicians have advocated the
personalized and predictive approaches for maintaining health and preventing diseases. Personalized
approach mainly centers on the temperament of an individual. By determining an individual’s
temperament, Unani physician can tell what is adequate or not adequate for the individual. While in
the predictive approach, correct knowledge of prodromal symptoms is a prerequisite to predict the
future developments in the human body and recommending the appropriate preventive measures
accordingly.
CONCLUSION: These approaches present interesting perspectives in the field of promotive and
preventive care and are of much relevance in the present scenario. Unfortunately, the lack of efficacy
studies is a limiting factor in their application. Hence, effective protocol must be developed to provide
evidence‑based data and to give grounds for their widespread usage.

Keywords

Health promotion
prodromal symptoms
public health
temperament
Unani medicine 
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 10, Issue 7
July 2020
Pages 1-8

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