In a bid to promote a healthy lifestyle and reduce the burden of the major risk factors for non-communicable diseases, the Department of Ayurveda plans to provide training on yoga and Ayurveda to teachers and students.

All teachers of selected schools and students of grades eight, nine and ten would get training in the first phase, the department’s top official.

"We plan to start the training in five districts, including in Kathmandu, in the first phase," Dr Vasudev Upadhyaya, director general at the Department of Ayurveda, told the Post. "We would extend the programme to other districts after reviewing the results of the training in the first phase."

The World Health Organization has provided financial assistance of about Rs1 million to organise the training programme. The UN's health agency itself provided brochures and other print materials about the importance of the training, according to Upadhyaya. Earlier, the department had planned to launch the training programme throughout the country at once from the financial assistance offered by the UN's health agency. But, the budget was later reduced by the ministry.

During the training, teachers, as well as students, will be trained about the yoga techniques. They will also be taught about the importance of ayurvedic medicines and the use of medicinal herbs to encourage a healthy lifestyle. Likewise, the importance of spices used in the kitchens—ginger, garlic, bay leaf, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper and other herbs along with their medicinal value will also be taught to the students and teachers while they are in training.

"We have asked the schools to allow 20 to 22 classes for extracurricular activities," said Upadhyaya. "If we can train the students about the importance of yoga and Ayurveda from the school level, people will apply them in their lives. People have forgotten the importance of herbs available in our surroundings, which have medicinal values."

Students will also be taught about the time they have to play, do physical exercise, sleep, what to eat and what not to, while they are in training.

Non-communicable diseases are increasingly becoming a major public health issue in Nepal. Heart diseases, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are on the rise, according to the latest medical data.

Increasing sedentary behaviour, tobacco, and alcohol use, and unhealthy diets—are blamed for being the leading causes of the rise in non-communicable diseases.

The department has also been preparing a working procedure to provide such training at the provincial, district and community level, said Upadhyaya.

“The Ministry of Health and Population has not allocated the budget for the programme but committed to allocate once the working procedure is approved,” he added.