The Union government has sought inclusion of Ayurveda and related systems as Module‑2 in WHO ICD‑11’s traditional medicine chapter to provide a standardised diagnostic language for Indian traditional medicine.

ICD‑11 already contains a traditional medicine Module‑1 covering conditions originating in ancient China, and the eleventh revision came into effect in January 2022.

The Ministry of Ayush is supporting development of an Ayurveda Module‑2 and is drawing on the National Ayush Morbidity and Standardised Terminologies Electronic portal and the Ayush Health Information Management System to underpin that work.

Standardising traditional medicine terminology through ICD‑11 is intended to enable research and evaluation of efficacy, improve regulation, integrate traditional medicine into mainstream health information systems, and facilitate insurance coverage and reimbursement where applicable.

Recent biomedical‑oriented reviews of Indian culinary herbs and spices emphasise their polyphenol content, potential anti‑inflammatory effects, and capacity to modulate the gut microbiome with prebiotic‑like actions.

The review lists specific traditional and investigational uses such as ginger for indigestion, turmeric in jaundice, licorice to reduce gastrointestinal discomfort, and mint supplements for irritable bowel syndrome.

Several studies summarized in the review indicate that herbs and spices can increase production of short‑chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the gut, a mechanism linked to anti‑obesity and metabolic benefits.

The review also reports that ginger and turmeric have been associated with increases in beneficial gut microbes and that spices may exert anti‑inflammatory effects relevant to cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and certain cancers.

Authors caution that variability in polyphenol content, low bioavailability, differences in processing and study design create inconsistencies, and they call for more rigorous research before broad clinical recommendations or dietary‑guideline inclusion.

Anthropological analysis in the provided materials underscores that traditional medicine systems often coexist with biomedical systems and can be complementary when integrated with cultural sensitivity.

The anthropological source also notes that traditional practitioners may be especially effective for conditions with psychological or social components because they provide emotional support and culturally concordant care.

Public‑facing reporting and commentary warn of safety risks in India from widespread self‑medication, noting study estimates of self‑medication prevalence up to about 37% in urban areas and 17% in rural areas and describing pharmacists sometimes dispensing medicines without prescriptions.

Taken together, the documents highlight parallel developments: active policy and informatics work to standardise and research Ayurveda, emerging biomedical investigations into herb‑gut‑health mechanisms, and continuing needs for stronger clinical evidence, regulation, and measures to prevent unsafe self‑medication.

Conclusion: Current research and policy efforts focus on scientific evaluation, standardised terminology, and regulated integration of Indian herbal medicine—especially for gut, inflammatory, and metabolic conditions—but more high‑quality clinical trials and safeguards against self‑medication are still needed.

The Union government has sought inclusion of Ayurveda and related systems as Module‑2 in WHO ICD‑11’s traditional medicine chapter to provide a standardised diagnostic language for Indian traditional medicine.

Title:

Content: Traditional Indian medicine set to make a global debut, seeking inclusion in WHO’s ICD-11 list

The inclusion of Ayurveda and related systems on the WHO list will provide it with a common language that allows health professionals to share standardised information across the world

October 14, 2023 06:17 pm | Updated 06:17 pm IST - NEW DELHI

A view of the World Health Organisation headquarters.

In a move meant to put the Indian system of medicine on the world map and provide it with a common standardised language, the Union government has sought for Ayurveda and related systems to be included in the 11th revision of the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD), as the second module of a supplementary chapter on traditional medicine conditions.

The ICD provides a common language that allows health professionals to share standardised information across the world. The traditional medicine module of the 11th revision provides a list of diagnostics categories to collect and report on traditional medicine conditions in a standardised and internationally comparable manner.

Speaking exclusively to The Hindu about the development, Ministry of Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha said: “We are hopeful that the addition of Module-2 for Ayurveda could happen as early as by next January.”

To aid regulation, research

“Ayurveda and related Indian traditional health care systems are formally recognised and widely practised health care systems in India, which is making a strong and valid point for its inclusion,” said Mr. Kotecha, adding that efforts to effectively regulate traditional medicine as an integral part of the health system require standardised and evidence-based information.

Mr. Kotecha further explained that the traditional medicine chapter under ICD-11 is a formative step for the integration of such forms of medicine into a classification standard used in conventional medicine. “It also provides the means for doing research and evaluation to establish its efficacy,” he said.

The Ministry added that this chapter would also help to respond to growing demands for more and better regulation of traditional medicine, and its integration in mainstream health care and health information systems.

ICD-11 covers Chinese medicine

After a decade of repeated consultations, ICD-11 had facilitated the inclusion of Module-1, which covers traditional medicine conditions originating in ancient China, which are now commonly used in China, Japan, Korea, and elsewhere around the world.

The eleventh revision contains around 17,000 unique codes and more than 1,20,000 codable terms, which are now entirely digital. ICD-11 came into effect from January 2022.

The joint use of ICD-11’s chapter on traditional medicine along with other chapters on neoplasm, patient safety, and injuries, can enhance the reporting of adverse events. It will enable the integration of traditional medicine into insurance coverage and reimbursement systems, in line with larger WHO objectives relating to universal health coverage. It will also link traditional medicine practices with global conventional medicine’s norms and standard development.

The development of Module-2 for Ayurveda-related diagnostic systems is being actively supported by the Ministry of Ayush. It extensively banks on the implementation experience gained on the ground by the National Ayush Morbidity and Standardised Terminologies Electronic portal, and the Ayush Health Information Management System, the Ministry said.

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What is the traditional Indian medical system called?

ICD‑11 already contains a traditional medicine Module‑1 covering conditions originating in ancient China, and the eleventh revision came into effect in January 2022.

The Ministry of Ayush is supporting development of an Ayurveda Module‑2 and is drawing on the National Ayush Morbidity and Standardised Terminologies Electronic portal and the Ayush Health Information Management System to underpin that work.

Standardising traditional medicine terminology through ICD‑11 is intended to enable research and evaluation of efficacy, improve regulation, integrate traditional medicine into mainstream health information systems, and facilitate insurance coverage and reimbursement where applicable.

What is the World Health Organization doing to promote traditional medicine, including Ayurveda?

Establishing rules for the safe, fair, and effective use of traditional medicine

Gathering evidence and data to guide policies

Recent biomedical‑oriented reviews of Indian culinary herbs and spices emphasise their polyphenol content, potential anti‑inflammatory effects, and capacity to modulate the gut microbiome with prebiotic‑like actions.

Title:

Content: Current research on gut microbial modulation with culinary herbs and spices

An article published in Food Chemistry elaborated on the health benefits of culinary herbs and spices. It stated that these plant extracts harbor the potential for prebiotic effect, owing to their polyphenol content. The bioactive constituents likely harbor anti-inflammatory properties and modulate the gut microbe. Using herbs and spices could prevent certain diseases associated with impaired gut barrier function and obesity.

Background

Many branches of alternative medicine, like Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani,  originated in India. The use of spices and herbs for medicinal purposes is an age-old practice, used even today – owing to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of these plant extracts and their high polyphenol content.

The fresh aerial parts (leaf and flowers) of certain plants are used as culinary herbs, whereas the dried remainder parts are used as a culinary spice. In Ayurveda, herbs and spices are not only used for promoting health but also for disease prevention.

Many herbs are used for treating mild gastrointestinal disorders, for instance, ginger for indigestion, turmeric during jaundice, licorice to attenuate gastrointestinal discomfort, and mint supplements during irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Herbs and spices are also used to ward off complications related to obesity, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and certain cancers.

The Mediterranean diet includes many herbs and spices, which renders its anti-inflammatory and oxidative stress reduction potential. Although there are indications for using herbs and spices for medicinal purposes, thorough scientific investigation is warranted before their prescription for health benefits.

The gut microbiome comprises bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotes. The colon and the large intestine harbor approximately 3.8 x 1013 microbes; the majority are bacteria. The gut microbiota can be categorized in many ways and differs according to the host’s age, dietary pattern, health status, environment, and medication use.

Identifying and characterizing the gut microbiota can be culture-independent (for example, fluorescent in situ hybridization or FIAH) or culture-dependent (traditional method of bacterial plating). The advanced culture-dependent method also exists, like meta-genomics sequencing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA sequencing, and immunoglobulin A sequencing.

Functions of the gut microbiome have been studied using human fecal specimens and multiple-stage complex gut models to determine the effects of dietary components on the gut microbial community and the effects of the gut microbiome on the overall well-being of the host. However, the entire functionality remains incompletely understood.

The review

This literature review explored current research findings on the effects of herbs and spices on gut microbes and the resulting health benefits.

Dietary modulation of the gut microbiota can improve overall health. Probiotics are dietary non-digestible carbohydrates that are not destroyed by the enzymes and digestive acids secreted by the upper digestive tract and enter the colon as fructans and galactans.

These metabolic byproducts are selectively utilized by beneficial bacteria which confer health benefits and improve the dysbiosis caused by illness, poor nutrition, aging, antibiotic use, and lifestyle alterations. Habitual consumption of probiotics can alter gut microbes by promoting specific bacterial populations.

Anaerobic gut bacteria ferment indigestible carbohydrates, which produce SCFAs (short-chain fatty acids). SCFAs impart numerous health benefits, such as – fat reduction, impeding type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) progression, along with anticarcinogenic effects.

Another substance beneficial for health is prebiotics. Prebiotics are substrates selectively used by the host microbiome to confer health benefits. Prebiotics use several pathways leading to positive impacts on health. They promote polyphenol production; these modulate the gut microbiome.

Polyphenols are also found in herbs and spices; hence, these plant extracts may impose prebiotic effects. Polyphenols are phytochemicals; dietary polyphenols aid in maintaining gut homeostasis by selectively acting as prebiotics. They also show antipathogenic and antioxidant effects and play crucial roles in cell signaling, insulin sensitivity, and synthesizing inflammatory mediators.

About 90-95% of the dietary polyphenols reach the colon, are metabolized by gut microbes, and are transformed into metabolites that affect the bioavailability of polyphenols (and hence the health benefits).

Polyphenols can be structurally classified into flavonoids and non-flavonoids. Coumarin and tannins can also be included under dietary polyphenols. Flavonoids modulate the gut microbiome by transforming into absorbable metabolites from an unabsorbable parent. The metabolites, quantity of the consumed polyphenol, and action of gut microbes determine the health benefits. Tannins found in nuts and berries also confer health benefits by converting ellagitannins into urolithin metabolites. These two pathways cause homeostasis of the gut microbiome, prevent oxidative damage and inflammation, and confer an antimicrobial effect against invading pathogens.

However, there remain inconsistencies in herb and spice inventions. Such results can be attributed to the low bioavailability and the variable content of polyphenols in different plant derivatives. The polyphenol content also varies according to the harvesting techniques, shelf life, processing, and cooking methods.

Many studies have found that spices and herbs positively alter gut microbiota. Certain herbs also reduce the risk of cancer by acting as anti-inflammatory compounds. The anti-inflammatory effects are also pronounced in cardiovascular diseases and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Spices promote SCFA production, which has an anti-obesity effect. Researchers have the anti-obesity properties of ginger root. Moreover, ginger and turmeric benefit by increasing the number of beneficial gut microbes.

Conclusion

More studies are warranted to study the impacts of spices and herbs on the gut microbiome and their health benefits on the host before their inclusion into dietary guidelines.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declared a conflict of interest, as one author works Pukka Herbs Ltd and another is in receipt of a PhD studentship funded by PUKKA Herbs Ltd.

Journal reference:

Written by

Nidhi Saha

I am a medical content writer and editor. My interests lie in public health awareness and medical communication. I have worked as a clinical dentist and as a consultant research writer in an Indian medical publishing house. It is my constant endeavor is to update knowledge on newer treatment modalities relating to various medical fields. I have also aided in proofreading and publication of manuscripts in accredited medical journals. I like to sketch, read and listen to music in my leisure time.

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The review lists specific traditional and investigational uses such as ginger for indigestion, turmeric in jaundice, licorice to reduce gastrointestinal discomfort, and mint supplements for irritable bowel syndrome.

What does traditional Indian medicine generally treat?

It addresses the physical aspects of health conditions.

Several studies summarized in the review indicate that herbs and spices can increase production of short‑chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the gut, a mechanism linked to anti‑obesity and metabolic benefits.

The review also reports that ginger and turmeric have been associated with increases in beneficial gut microbes and that spices may exert anti‑inflammatory effects relevant to cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and certain cancers.

Authors caution that variability in polyphenol content, low bioavailability, differences in processing and study design create inconsistencies, and they call for more rigorous research before broad clinical recommendations or dietary‑guideline inclusion.

Anthropological analysis in the provided materials underscores that traditional medicine systems often coexist with biomedical systems and can be complementary when integrated with cultural sensitivity.

Title:

Content: Anthropology or Anthropology: Anthropology and its Relation to Medicine and Health / 11
Anthropology or Anthropology: Anthropology and its Relation to Medicine and Health / 11
Translated by Ahmed Mogheer
Medical Anthropology: Definition, History and Concerns
Medical anthropology is a specialized branch of anthropology whose main interest is in the relationship between cultural factors, perceptions and beliefs on the one hand and health disorders on the other.
Medical anthropology is a branch of applied anthropology, which studies diseases, the health care system, theories of disease and treatment from a pluralistic, sociocultural perspective.
Medical anthropology, in general, has grown very rapidly as a specialized field of study in anthropology, especially since the 1950s and 1960s.
The growth of this field is mainly due to: (1) the growing interest of social scientists in general and anthropologists in particular in health and disease, and (2) the increased awareness of medical professionals and health policy makers about the role of social sciences in the health issue.
Arguably, when anthropology arose in the 19th century, investigating health and disease issues seemed not to be among the dominant concerns of cultural anthropologists.
However, sociologists in general and anthropologists in particular have begun to develop academic and practical interests in the study of health and disease in social and cultural contexts.
At the root of the emergence and development of medical anthropology also lies the need to study the world of health and disease from evolutionary and ecological perspectives.
Medical anthropologists attempt to address fundamental questions such as:
What is the evolutionary basis for the difference in how different populations deal with the disease?
What are the main factors that affect children ’ s growth and development?
What is the impact of modernization on the local population?
Medical anthropologists are also interested in:
Investigate the interrelationship between human health, nutrition, cultural beliefs and practices; and how people ’ s dietary behavior and sexual habits affect the spread of pathogenic organisms;
Multicultural aspects of nursing care;
the social and cultural contexts of disease; health-related behavior of people, and the social and cultural associations of such behavior;
The social, behavioral, demographic and biological characteristics of people who develop the disease.
Some of the main theories of health, culture and society
A brief overview of key perspectives in the anthropology of health and disease may be appropriate at this juncture.
Medicine as an institution and the question of health and disease have been explained through different perspectives.
The following are crucial theories:
Functional Perspective: This perspective views medicine and healthcare systems as important social institutions; it focuses on the functions and roles that the institution plays in maintaining stability in society.
Medical institutions, whether scientific or traditional, and various practitioners exist to meet the needs of individuals and society.
Medical Ecological Perspective: This perspective focuses on human biological and behavioral adaptations to diseases in different ecological and environmental contexts.
Thus, diseases evolve in line with specific ecological niches, and people ’ s responses to health problems have evolved in the context of their specific local ecosystems.
Cultural Interpretative Perspective: This is also called the “symbolic interaction ” approach.
This approach focuses on the social and cultural constructs of health, disease and illness.
According to this theory, diseases and health are not just things that exist “out there ”; they are a product of complex social interactions; and health and disease are largely shaped by the way people as representatives give meaning to them and how actors respond to them in social and cultural ways.
Critical perspective: This theory is also called “radical political economy. ”
It is an approach that emphasizes social and economic inequality in power and wealth, which in turn has a significant impact on health status and access to health-care facilities.
Individuals, groups, communities and even nations thus tend to have an unbalanced share of health resources; this often results in an unequal distribution of morbidity and mortality patterns among a given society; those in power and dominance enjoy better health, and marginalized groups suffer the burden of disease.
The roles of anthropologists and contributions of anthropology to health
Applied medical anthropology is strongly interdisciplinary in its nature and approach.
Medical anthropologists often work with academics in the field of sociology, medicine, psychology, and demography.
Applied medical anthropology brings with it the comparative framework of anthropology that helps medically trained people avoid one limited cultural perspective, to see how social and environmental factors affect health, and to be familiar with alternative ways of understanding and treating disease.
In general, medical anthropologists play the following two important roles:
work in collaboration with health professionals, researchers and other professionals, as consultants, consultants and researchers;
They work in the field of health and disease and participate in their own independent research, in order to advance anthropological knowledge.
Some specific applications or contributions of medical anthropology in health and disease include:
-They help hospitals and health agencies to deliver health care more effectively to people.
They assist national and international health organizations by providing anthropological data on the cultures of the peoples of the world.
They work with epidemiologists in identifying the effects of cultural practices and beliefs on disease transmission.
-They help health professionals in disease prevention and control.
They are involved in the fields of international health, promoting mental health in different cultures.
They assist in the areas of public health education efforts related to family planning, maternal and child health, improving community sanitation and nutritional counseling.
They help promote community involvement in disease prevention.
-They help people understand the psychosocial factors that affect prevention, and participate in the identification of cases and treatment.
They help health workers overcome restrictions on large-scale drug administration or vaccination as well as in overcoming cultural constraints on health education programs and dealing with them.
Anthropologists work with epidemiologists and psychiatrists in the areas of cardiovascular problems and mental disorders.
Disease, society and economic activity
Understanding social and cultural behaviors as important factors in the causal relationship, spread, and distribution of many diseases is critical.
Anthropologists argue that how people live, how they behave, what and how they eat, what they believe and practice, what they value and what technology they possess, etc., are important determinants of their individual and collective health.
Different societies have different concepts of health and disease.
The standards that people set for health vary from culture to culture.
Behaviors and lifestyles that are considered healthy vary from one community to another, and from time to time.
People ’ s understanding of health and perceptions of the nature of diseases also vary from culture to culture.
Anthropologists argue that, on the basis of cross-cultural research (i.e. research conducted relatively in different cultures) perceptions of good and bad health are constructed, along with culturally significant health threats and problems.
Thus, the production and distribution of health and disease are strongly influenced by sociocultural and political-economic factors.
Different ethnic groups and cultures recognize different diseases, symptoms and causes and have developed different health care systems and treatment strategies.
Anthropologists also argue that diseases vary between cultures and types of economic activity.
Systems of economic activity prevalent in a given society greatly influence the characteristics of morbidity and mortality.
For example, some infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid, cholera, etc., are more common in settled communities (peasants and urban communities).
Diseases such as schistosomiasis are associated with certain economic activities.
They are widespread in communities that practice irrigation systems.
Other infectious diseases, particularly sexually transmitted diseases, including the HIV / AIDS pandemic, are more common in urban cultures than in rural areas and along highways.
There are also what anthropologists call development diseases which are those health problems that arise in a given society after the introduction of development projects, or when indigenous people are integrated into global political and economic systems, certain types of diseases can be introduced to people.
These diseases may include bacterial or parasitic diseases that occur in an area due to changes in the environment following development-related activities and other categories of development diseases may include “diseases caused by poverty, undernutrition and poor sanitation, reflecting the failure of development programs to integrate people into large-scale communities in a satisfactory manner. ”
Causality theories of disease
The biomedical theory of the causality of disease is just one of the different theories of diseases that people carry.
The methods by which people try to treat the perceived disease are based on their beliefs about the cause of the disease.
People from different cultures have developed for themselves different ways of interpreting how diseases and misfortunes (bad luck or disaster) occur.
It seems that such theories for centuries have worked for them very efficiently.
In fact, the peoples of the world relied on such kinds of explanations (and still not a few societies continue to do so) until the modern scientific theory of medicine emerged a few centuries ago.
Anthropologists have classified the various causal theories of diseases that exist between different cultures in the world into: 1) theories of personal diseases, 2) theories of natural diseases, and 3) theories of emotional diseases.
The causation theory of personal illness attributes disease to causative agents that are considered intelligent beings.
This theory is particularly common among most non-Western societies.
Even if a person knows that a mosquito bite causes malaria, it is often believed and believed that the cause of the disease is due to the force and evil action of such factors as evil spirits, witches and witches, ancestral spirits, curses made by elders, the wrath of supernatural beings, etc.
The causal theory of natural diseases is also referred to as Western or scientific medicine.
This attributes diseases to such non-personal and scientifically proven factors as viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc. and toxic substances.
This theory explains the causes of diseases from a natural point of view.
That is, diseases are natural events, not supernatural things.
Non-Western cultures also use natural disease theories.
For example, some people believe that eating or drinking hot or cold substances may create a health problem.
For example, a menstruating woman is not supposed to eat pineapple in some cultures.
Because they think pineapple is a “cold ” thing and menstruation is a“ hot ” thing, the two will collide and cause illness.
The causal theory of emotional illness states that illnesses are caused by some severe negative emotional experience.
A number of ethnographic studies have found that there are, for example, mental illnesses that are unique to certain cultural environments.
Such diseases caused by certain cultural environments and traditions are described as syndromes associated with culture.
In some cultures, emotional experiences such as anxiety and fear may cause a disease called susto, or what is also called "soul loss" in anthropological literature.
A person who thinks they have this mental illness may develop symptoms such as lethargy (fatigue or weakness), loss of activity, wandering, distraction (or thinking disorder), etc.
In Africa, which is predominantly a traditional society, traditional, non-scientific explanations of disease are very important in the diagnosis, treatment and management of diseases.
Belief in the power of various intelligent agents such as Djinn, Mitch, Devil, Ganel, etc. to cause various mental and physical illnesses is very common in most African cultures.
People in some cultures do not go to a modern health care center to seek help for certain types of diseases.
Treatment of diseases is also closely related to the type of causal relationship of diseases that people carry.
In psychosomatic illnesses such as Soto and other culture-specific illnesses, people prefer to go for treatment to a traditional medical professional, rather than a modern health facility.
Perspectives on the causality of disease carried by people are therefore very important in determining people's health care seeking behavior and the type of diagnosis and treatment.
This is why it is critical that healthcare professionals be culturally sensitive and have some basic understanding of social and cultural anthropological knowledge when dealing with the care of patients from different cultural and religious backgrounds.
Health Care Systems
Health systems vary across time and space.
Since time immemorial, people have developed different health care systems.
The modern system of health care and its provision as practiced in the contemporary modern world is a modern phenomenon.
People have treated the sick and developed means of caring for the sick and disabled in various traditional ways, and these means of providing health care are still prevalent in almost all non-Western societies. In short, all societies have some form of health care system.
A health care system can be defined as beliefs, habits, specialists and techniques aimed at promoting health and preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases.
Traditional societies have their own medical practices and specialists who often rely on what is suggested by a specific causal theory.
Traditional healers play important roles in treating patients with various health problems.
Magical rituals and prayers are often used in the production of medicines and their use on patients.
They are highly respected in their communities.
Patients believe in their knowledge and skills (often much more than they believe in the expertise of modern doctors) and their consultation.
Traditional Medicine
Traditional medicine can be referred to as a system of medicine in particular societies with a range of causal views of diseases, mechanisms of diagnosis and treatment, and roles of specialists, where the prevailing model of disease and health differs significantly from scientific medicine.
It may commonly be seen as medical beliefs and practices that were used from time immemorial by human societies before the advent of modern medicine, and are still used by most non-Western societies.
Traditional medicine embodies a system of medical care that is based on ideas about pathogens and treatment of diseases that have evolved over a longer period of time and that is shaped by people's own experience in terms of their environment, and their pattern of beliefs about human, environmental, and supernatural relationships.
A broader term such as alternative medicine can also be used to describe this type of medicine.
In this sense, all medical opinions and practices outside of traditional scientific medicine, such as acupuncture, healing by faith, healing through prayer, etc., fall into this category.
Traditional medical practitioners acquire and employ a wide range of medical knowledge that includes astrology, healing by faith, massage, folk psychotherapy and folk psychiatry, exorcism, herbal medicine, various magical acts and amulets to treat the sick.
Traditional disease care systems represent experimental attempts by indigenous people to control associated diseases and calamities and to maintain health and well-being in a given environment.
These systems express deep-rooted attitudes towards health and disease, popular drug concepts, the activities of indigenous healers, the role of kinship groups in maintaining health, and so on.
Biomedicine
This medicine is referred to interchangeably as “scientific ”,“ Western ” and “modern ” medicine.
It is based on the model of disease and health as concepts, explainable and subject to natural assumptions.
Biomedicine aims to link disease to scientifically proven factors that do not carry any personal malice towards their victims, as seen by people who hold a personal causal theory of disease.
Comparison and contrast between traditional and scientific medicine
It may be appropriate to say that medicine has always been recognized as a social biological science.
When we look at the history of medicine, prominent thinkers from Hippocrates to Sigmund Freud tend to view human health as being strongly influenced by social, cultural, environmental and other non-biological factors.
Health and disease have been understood to be inextricably linked to the way humans live and their social and cultural environment.
However, the contributions of sociocultural factors to pathogens and their roles in healing processes have been greatly undermined until recently and have not received systematic analyze.However, starting in the 1950s, social sciences and medicine began to show increased interest in cooperation.
The place of traditional medicine in the health care sector, which has so far been neglected, is now being appreciated.
There now seems to be a growing acceptance of the contributions of traditional medicine by modern medical and health planners.
Modern health care professionals rejected traditional or alternative medical systems as useless until recently but now this position is being changed.
Anthropologists argue that the two systems can complement each other.
In many African societies, modern health-care professionals recognize traditional medical practitioners, and collaborative efforts are being made in research and practice in areas such as HIV / AIDS, and in the identification of various plants of medicinal value.
Traditional medical practitioners may be more effective in treating diseases that have psychological causes, such as mental problems.
People often consult them and get treatment that may not be possible by modern psychiatrists.
Patients often receive more psychological / emotional comfort and social support when treated by traditional healers.
But in modern medicine, the context of treatment is often one of isolation, alienation (separation), and separation from the group.
Western medicine may learn a lot from traditional medicine in which the “relationship between therapist, patient and community ” is important.
In such cases, the patient is not an expatriate and has the necessary emotional and social support.
Unlike Western medicine, traditional medicine sees the patient as not just a biological person, and pays attention to social and spiritual aspects as well.
Traditional medical practitioners effectively treat patients as whole beings, using any combination of methods that prove useful.
This is not usually the case in modern medicine.
There is no doubt that Western medicine is better than traditional medicine in many respects, as many of its achievements are based on scientific facts.
As such, traditional medicine has a lot to learn from it.
It is true that traditional medicine may not be as effective against bacteria as antibiotics.
Advances in scientific medicine have made it possible to combat many permanent (persistent and recurring) health problems.
Countless drugs have been made and are effective in the treatment of various diseases.
However, anthropologists still draw our attention to some problems in Western medicine.
They argue that the growth in medical science and diagnostic and treatment techniques has occurred at an alarming rate.
But many of the procedures and practices of modern medicine lack convincing justification and logic.
They report instances of bias, lack of a personal relationship between patient and doctor, and interactions between doctor and nurse.
Despite the dominance of modern scientific medicine, and in some cases its apparent superiority in quality and utility, it is better to consider the two systems of medicine as complementary to each other, rather than competing and undermining one another.
The reality on the ground is that even in industrialized societies people often consult with both modern and traditional systems of medicine.
Medical pluralism is still an ever-present phenomenon.
Medical anthropological research suggests that even in urban settings where there are Western scientific medical facilities, people often consult traditional medical practitioners.
Both cosmic and supernatural scientific perspectives regarding health and disease continue to play important roles in influencing people ’ s health-seeking behavior.
Many countries are now developing policies whereby their national health-care system integrates both scientific and traditional medical care systems.
It is appropriate to describe briefly the social and cultural implications of medical pluralism, particularly in the context of developing countries. One such developing trend is that the health-care system in developing countries is largely dominated and biased by the biomedical model, despite the multiplicity of natures.
This is usually manifested in the fact that biomedical dominance and the medical care system enjoys a higher status and the traditional medical system is often not recognized as a viable alternative, although some steps have been taken in this regard.
Other issues associated with this medical pluralism also include:
Although it has a higher status, the Western medical system, on the other hand, is criticized for its bias towards curative rather than preventive and promotive medicine.
Its heavy reliance on Western countries for institutional, professional and technical support is also another point of criticism.
Most importantly, hierarchical medical pluralism in the Third World represents the basic social stratification.
The few elites with the greatest privileges often benefit from the dominant scientific medicine, while the majority of the population benefit from the popular medical services.
Another prevalent fact worth noting is that there is often a dual use of medical care; the elite rely primarily on the biomedical system and may resort to popular medical assistance as a last resort; on the other hand, the masses generally rely on the popular medical system and may also benefit from the biomedical sector at its lower end.
Translated by Dr. Ahmed Al Mughayir / Specialist and Researcher
Source:
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
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The anthropological source also notes that traditional practitioners may be especially effective for conditions with psychological or social components because they provide emotional support and culturally concordant care.

In what areas have the medical uses of traditional Indian medicine been studied?

What does traditional Indian medicine generally treat?

It addresses the psychological aspects of health conditions.

What mental health problems does traditional Indian medicine treat?

Support the management of symptoms related to mental health.

Public‑facing reporting and commentary warn of safety risks in India from widespread self‑medication, noting study estimates of self‑medication prevalence up to about 37% in urban areas and 17% in rural areas and describing pharmacists sometimes dispensing medicines without prescriptions.

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High time for Indians to stop self medication

Potential risks of self-medication include severe health issues such as incorrect self-diagnosis, increased risk of drug or supplement interactions, incorrect choice of therapy, and risk of dependence and abuse.

by Dr. Chaitendra Gautam

Self-medication with over-the-counter (OTC) medicines is becoming an increasingly fatal and popular practice around the world. According to various studies, the global prevalence rate of self-medication ranges from 11.2% to 93.7%, depending on the target population and country. Potential risks of self-medication include severe health issues such as incorrect self-diagnosis, increased risk of drug or supplement interactions, incorrect choice of therapy, and risk of dependence and abuse. The pandemic has dangerously pushed Indians to adopt this self-medication or Doctor Google trend more often putting a serious threat to public health.

There are various reasons that this dangerous trend is catching pace in the country and require mass awareness amongst people, says Dr. Chaitendra Gautam, Founder and CEO of Aceso Health, which offers subscription-based integrated healthcare services.

Pandemic pushed self-medication trend to an extent
These days it is very commonplace for doctors to deal with patients who come armed with little information and a lot of misinformation about their symptoms and condition, thanks to Dr. Google. Before the pandemic, many studies suggested that in India as many 50 percent of the people searched the Internet for medical information. The trend has only increased in the past two and a half years, when people, worried and confined to home during lockdowns, frantically searched the internet to be assured that their symptoms—cough and fever—were not indicative of Covid.
Considering Google search as an alternate to a doctor consultation could be fatal
People need to understand that the dangers of treating Google as Doctor or taking slef-medication are many – it heightens panic and encourages self-medication and self-diagnosis. Many people are in fact falling prey to Cyberchondria, a person's anxiety about their health that is created or exacerbated by using the internet to search for medical information. Google search for symptoms, treatment, and prevention and safety measures is just not an alternative to a doctor consultation.

The fact is there is no easy diagnosis
Doctor Google can be confusing as it throws up hundreds and hundreds of pages from websites, various online forums, social media, and videos offering all kinds of diagnoses. But how can one be sure about the reliability of these online platforms that have delivered an easy — and free — diagnosis in the comfort of your bedroom? A trained experienced doctor takes into account many factors before making a diagnosis, like analysis of the patient’s personal and family history. He looks at the whole picture!
Sharing prescriptions and medication with friends and family is a dangerous trend
Many people even resort to Self-Medication (SM)—usage of medications without a legal prescription to treat the self-diagnosed symptoms or medical conditions. SM also includes submitting old prescriptions to buy medicines, sharing prescriptions and medication with relatives/family members, or using leftover medications for the treatment of a self-diagnosed medical condition.

Self-medication has been widely prevalent in developing countries such as India. Several studies conducted in India showed the prevalence of self-medication as much as 37% in urban areas and 17% in rural areas. It ranges between 12.7% and 95% in other developing countries.

Do not fall into the cost-saving, time saving trap
While a lot of people rely on self-medication to save the cost of consultation with a doctor, other have their own time saving reasons too. In addition, there are people who simply do not take their illness seriously and believe all they need to do is just pop a few pills and their problem will go away. They take anything from cough syrups, laxatives, antibiotics, to anti-allergy medicines, vitamins and antacids without consulting a doctor. But they fail to understand that self- medication can be much more harmful than they ever thought.

In the past few years as consultation fees rise, there have been demands to regulate it. Consultation fee of specialists in top-notch corporate hospitals is beyond the reach of even many middle-class people. Worse, it is not even covered in most individual insurance packages. No wonder then OPDs in government hospitals are getting more and more crowded.

Pharmacists willing to play doctors
n India, unfortunately, pharmacists also play a role in aggravating this problem. Many of them are more than willing to play doctors and illegally prescribe drugs based on their customers’ symptoms.
The need of the hour is to spread massive awareness amongst the public. And as individuals, we need to understand that while we take full control of our personal health and wellness with the adoption of fitness regimes, yoga, and other best practices, medication is something that we leave in the expert hands. Also, health care and product innovations can go a long way in making healthcare accessible to every section of society in India, and more importantly can help bring about the necessary perception change for self-medication.

Dr. Chaitendra Gautam, Founder and CEO of Aceso Health

(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETHealthworld does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETHealthworld.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person / organisation directly or indirectly.)

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Taken together, the documents highlight parallel developments: active policy and informatics work to standardise and research Ayurveda, emerging biomedical investigations into herb‑gut‑health mechanisms, and continuing needs for stronger clinical evidence, regulation, and measures to prevent unsafe self‑medication.

What is the World Health Organization doing to promote traditional medicine, including Ayurveda?

Gathering evidence and data to guide policies

What is the traditional Indian medical system called?

What is the World Health Organization doing to promote traditional medicine, including Ayurveda?

Gathering evidence and data to guide policies

What is the traditional Indian medical system called?

What is the World Health Organization doing to promote traditional medicine, including Ayurveda?

Gathering evidence and data to guide policies

What is the traditional Indian medical system called?

Conclusion: Current research and policy efforts focus on scientific evaluation, standardised terminology, and regulated integration of Indian herbal medicine—especially for gut, inflammatory, and metabolic conditions—but more high‑quality clinical trials and safeguards against self‑medication are still needed.


The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen is a 175 kg sculpture by Edvard Eriksen inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale.

On or about 2 March 2023 the stone the statue sits on was painted with the white, blue and red stripes of the Russian flag.

Copenhagen police registered the act as vandalism and opened an investigation to find clues.

The statue has been vandalized repeatedly over decades, including the theft of its head in 1964 and again in 1998, the cutting off of an arm in 1984, and an explosion that knocked it off its base in 2003.

It was doused in red paint in 2017 in a protest against whale hunting.

During worldwide protests in 2020 the base was painted with the words "racist fish".

Tourists were reported to be puzzled and photographed the vandalized statue after the Russian-flag painting.

Summary: The Little Mermaid statue has been the target of repeated intentional damages over many decades, ranging from theft and physical mutilation to political paintings, with authorities investigating each new act.

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen is a 175 kg sculpture by Edvard Eriksen inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale.

Title:

Content: Danish little mermaid like cornerstone painted Russian flag tricolor
A statue of the Little Mermaid, one of the most iconic tourist attractions in the Danish capital Copenhagen, was deliberately vandalized last night, and the cornerstone below the statue was painted with the white, blue and red colors of the Russian flag.
Advertisement
The Little Mermaid comes from the famous fairy tale of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, where the stone beneath the bronze statue is painted in three colors of the Russian flag.
Copenhagen police told Agence France-Presse that since they arrived this morning, "a case of vandalism has been filed" and "local investigations have been launched to trace traces".
It is clear that this means supporting Moscow ’ s position in the Ukraine war.
Some tourists, puzzled by this, took pictures of the damaged statue this morning.
The 175-kilogram Little Mermaid is a work by sculptor Edvard Eriksen, inspired by the Danish poet and writer Hans Christian Andersen ’ s 1837 fairy tale of the same name.
The statue, which sits next to a relatively secluded waterfront walkway, has been vandalized several times over the years, including two burglaries of its head in 1964 and 1998, and a severed arm in 1984. In 2003, the statue was blown loose with explosives and fell into the bay.
It has also been graffitied and painted several times, most recently in 2020 with the words “racist fish. ”

On or about 2 March 2023 the stone the statue sits on was painted with the white, blue and red stripes of the Russian flag.

Title:

Content: Russian Flag Painted on Copenhagen's Most Famous Landmark

It's the latest in a long line of attacks on Little Mermaid statue
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 2, 2023 10:15 AM CST

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, one of Denmark's most famous landmarks, has been vandalized yet again, this time with the Russian flag. Authorities said Thursday that the white, blue, and red stripes of the Russian flag were painted on the stone the statue sits on, Reuters reports. Police said the vandalism was discovered early Thursday. "We are of course launching an investigation to find out who did it and when and how it happened," a police spokesman said, per Jyllands-Posten.

Denmark, like other European nations, has strongly criticized Russia's war against Ukraine. The small statue, a tribute to the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, sits off a waterfront promenade in the Danish capital. It has been vandalized many times since it was installed 110 years ago, AFP reports. It has been decapitated twice and was knocked off its base with explosives in 2003. In 2017, it was doused in red paint in a protest against whale hunting. In 2020, during worldwide protests after the death of George Floyd, the words "racist fish" were painted on the base, though Andersen scholars said they weren't aware of any racist elements in the fairy tale. (Read more The Little Mermaid stories.)

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Copenhagen police registered the act as vandalism and opened an investigation to find clues.

The statue has been vandalized repeatedly over decades, including the theft of its head in 1964 and again in 1998, the cutting off of an arm in 1984, and an explosion that knocked it off its base in 2003.

It was doused in red paint in 2017 in a protest against whale hunting.

During worldwide protests in 2020 the base was painted with the words "racist fish".

Tourists were reported to be puzzled and photographed the vandalized statue after the Russian-flag painting.

Summary: The Little Mermaid statue has been the target of repeated intentional damages over many decades, ranging from theft and physical mutilation to political paintings, with authorities investigating each new act.


The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen was created by sculptor Edvard Eriksen and is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale.

The statue weighs 175 kilograms.

The monument has been the target of repeated vandalism since its installation.

In 1964 the statue's head was stolen.

In 1998 the statue's head was again stolen and was later returned.

In 1984 one of the statue's arms was cut off.

In 2003 the statue was attacked with explosives, which caused it to be blown off its base and fall into the harbour.

In 2017 the statue was doused in red paint in what was reported as a protest against whale hunting.

In 2020 the words "racist fish" were painted on the statue's base during the worldwide protests following George Floyd's death.

On the night of 2–3 March 2023 the stone the statue sits on was painted in the white, blue and red stripes of the Russian flag.

Danish police registered the 2023 painting as an act of vandalism and began an investigation, and observers linked the tricolour painting to support for Moscow in the war in Ukraine.

Many of the incidents involved graffiti or paint attacks and the perpetrators were often not publicly identified.

Some acts had explicit political or protest motives, while others appear to have been anonymous vandalism or theft.

Despite claims made in graffiti, Andersen scholars told reporters they were not aware of racist elements in the original fairy tale.

Overall, over many decades the statue has been repeatedly and intentionally damaged through theft, mutilation, explosives, paint and graffiti, with motives ranging from political protest to unknown vandalism and with perpetrators often unidentified.

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen was created by sculptor Edvard Eriksen and is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale.

Title:

Content: Danish little mermaid like cornerstone painted Russian flag tricolor
A statue of the Little Mermaid, one of the most iconic tourist attractions in the Danish capital Copenhagen, was deliberately vandalized last night, and the cornerstone below the statue was painted with the white, blue and red colors of the Russian flag.
Advertisement
The Little Mermaid comes from the famous fairy tale of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, where the stone beneath the bronze statue is painted in three colors of the Russian flag.
Copenhagen police told Agence France-Presse that since they arrived this morning, "a case of vandalism has been filed" and "local investigations have been launched to trace traces".
It is clear that this means supporting Moscow ’ s position in the Ukraine war.
Some tourists, puzzled by this, took pictures of the damaged statue this morning.
The 175-kilogram Little Mermaid is a work by sculptor Edvard Eriksen, inspired by the Danish poet and writer Hans Christian Andersen ’ s 1837 fairy tale of the same name.
The statue, which sits next to a relatively secluded waterfront walkway, has been vandalized several times over the years, including two burglaries of its head in 1964 and 1998, and a severed arm in 1984. In 2003, the statue was blown loose with explosives and fell into the bay.
It has also been graffitied and painted several times, most recently in 2020 with the words “racist fish. ”

The statue weighs 175 kilograms.

The monument has been the target of repeated vandalism since its installation.

Title:

Content: Russian Flag Painted on Copenhagen's Most Famous Landmark

It's the latest in a long line of attacks on Little Mermaid statue
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 2, 2023 10:15 AM CST

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, one of Denmark's most famous landmarks, has been vandalized yet again, this time with the Russian flag. Authorities said Thursday that the white, blue, and red stripes of the Russian flag were painted on the stone the statue sits on, Reuters reports. Police said the vandalism was discovered early Thursday. "We are of course launching an investigation to find out who did it and when and how it happened," a police spokesman said, per Jyllands-Posten.

Denmark, like other European nations, has strongly criticized Russia's war against Ukraine. The small statue, a tribute to the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, sits off a waterfront promenade in the Danish capital. It has been vandalized many times since it was installed 110 years ago, AFP reports. It has been decapitated twice and was knocked off its base with explosives in 2003. In 2017, it was doused in red paint in a protest against whale hunting. In 2020, during worldwide protests after the death of George Floyd, the words "racist fish" were painted on the base, though Andersen scholars said they weren't aware of any racist elements in the fairy tale. (Read more The Little Mermaid stories.)

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Install the Newser News app
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In 1964 the statue's head was stolen.

Title:

Content: Danish police investigate who “spoiled ” the famous monument to the Little Mermaid with the colors of the Russian flag
03.03.2023, 7: 15, Misc
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On the pedestal of the famous statue of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, a Russian tricolor appeared, says The Guardian.
The Danish police have launched an investigation into such an “act of vandalism ”, which is perceived as a sign of support in the Ukrainian conflict.
AP
In Copenhagen, unknown people painted the foundation of the statue of the Mermaid in Copenhagen in the colors of the Russian flag, writes The Guardian.
According to the publication, the tricolor appeared on Thursday night on the stone, which serves as a pedestal for the famous Danish monument.
The police in Copenhagen said that law enforcement officers visited the crime scene and registered an “act of vandalism ”.
The police began an investigation and are trying to find “evidence ”.
The actions of unknown persons are perceived as a sign of support for the Kremlin in the Ukrainian conflict.
The article notes that the statue of the Little Mermaid weighing 175 kg was created by sculptor Edward Eriksen, who was inspired by the main character of the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen.
The monument suffered from vandals many times: in 1964 her head was stolen, in 1984 her hand was cut off, in 1998 her head was stolen again, but later returned, and in 2003 the statue was blown up.
In addition, the Little Mermaid has been painted or signed many times.
The last time it happened in 2020, when it appeared the mysterious inscription “Racist fish ”, writes The Guardian.
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In 1998 the statue's head was again stolen and was later returned.

In 1984 one of the statue's arms was cut off.

In 2003 the statue was attacked with explosives, which caused it to be blown off its base and fall into the harbour.

In 2017 the statue was doused in red paint in what was reported as a protest against whale hunting.

In 2020 the words "racist fish" were painted on the statue's base during the worldwide protests following George Floyd's death.

On the night of 2–3 March 2023 the stone the statue sits on was painted in the white, blue and red stripes of the Russian flag.

Danish police registered the 2023 painting as an act of vandalism and began an investigation, and observers linked the tricolour painting to support for Moscow in the war in Ukraine.

Many of the incidents involved graffiti or paint attacks and the perpetrators were often not publicly identified.

Some acts had explicit political or protest motives, while others appear to have been anonymous vandalism or theft.

Despite claims made in graffiti, Andersen scholars told reporters they were not aware of racist elements in the original fairy tale.

Overall, over many decades the statue has been repeatedly and intentionally damaged through theft, mutilation, explosives, paint and graffiti, with motives ranging from political protest to unknown vandalism and with perpetrators often unidentified.


The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen was created by sculptor Edvard Eriksen and inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale.

The bronze figure weighs about 175 kilograms and sits beside a relatively secluded waterfront promenade.

The statue has been vandalized many times since its installation.

Its head was stolen in 1964 and again in 1998.

In 1984 one of its arms was cut off.

In 2003 explosives were used to loosen the statue and it was knocked off its base into the harbour.

In 2017 the statue was doused in red paint in a protest against whale hunting.

In 2020 the base was painted with the words "racist fish" during worldwide protests following George Floyd's death.

On 2 March 2023 the stone the statue sits on was painted with the Russian flag colors and police opened an investigation.

The Little Mermaid has repeatedly suffered intentional damage over decades, including thefts, mutilations, bombing, paint attacks, and politically motivated vandalism.

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen was created by sculptor Edvard Eriksen and inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale.

Title:

Content: Danish little mermaid like cornerstone painted Russian flag tricolor
A statue of the Little Mermaid, one of the most iconic tourist attractions in the Danish capital Copenhagen, was deliberately vandalized last night, and the cornerstone below the statue was painted with the white, blue and red colors of the Russian flag.
Advertisement
The Little Mermaid comes from the famous fairy tale of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, where the stone beneath the bronze statue is painted in three colors of the Russian flag.
Copenhagen police told Agence France-Presse that since they arrived this morning, "a case of vandalism has been filed" and "local investigations have been launched to trace traces".
It is clear that this means supporting Moscow ’ s position in the Ukraine war.
Some tourists, puzzled by this, took pictures of the damaged statue this morning.
The 175-kilogram Little Mermaid is a work by sculptor Edvard Eriksen, inspired by the Danish poet and writer Hans Christian Andersen ’ s 1837 fairy tale of the same name.
The statue, which sits next to a relatively secluded waterfront walkway, has been vandalized several times over the years, including two burglaries of its head in 1964 and 1998, and a severed arm in 1984. In 2003, the statue was blown loose with explosives and fell into the bay.
It has also been graffitied and painted several times, most recently in 2020 with the words “racist fish. ”

The bronze figure weighs about 175 kilograms and sits beside a relatively secluded waterfront promenade.

The statue has been vandalized many times since its installation.

Title:

Content: Russian Flag Painted on Copenhagen's Most Famous Landmark

It's the latest in a long line of attacks on Little Mermaid statue
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 2, 2023 10:15 AM CST

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, one of Denmark's most famous landmarks, has been vandalized yet again, this time with the Russian flag. Authorities said Thursday that the white, blue, and red stripes of the Russian flag were painted on the stone the statue sits on, Reuters reports. Police said the vandalism was discovered early Thursday. "We are of course launching an investigation to find out who did it and when and how it happened," a police spokesman said, per Jyllands-Posten.

Denmark, like other European nations, has strongly criticized Russia's war against Ukraine. The small statue, a tribute to the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, sits off a waterfront promenade in the Danish capital. It has been vandalized many times since it was installed 110 years ago, AFP reports. It has been decapitated twice and was knocked off its base with explosives in 2003. In 2017, it was doused in red paint in a protest against whale hunting. In 2020, during worldwide protests after the death of George Floyd, the words "racist fish" were painted on the base, though Andersen scholars said they weren't aware of any racist elements in the fairy tale. (Read more The Little Mermaid stories.)

We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy.
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X

Its head was stolen in 1964 and again in 1998.

In 1984 one of its arms was cut off.

In 2003 explosives were used to loosen the statue and it was knocked off its base into the harbour.

In 2017 the statue was doused in red paint in a protest against whale hunting.

In 2020 the base was painted with the words "racist fish" during worldwide protests following George Floyd's death.

On 2 March 2023 the stone the statue sits on was painted with the Russian flag colors and police opened an investigation.

The Little Mermaid has repeatedly suffered intentional damage over decades, including thefts, mutilations, bombing, paint attacks, and politically motivated vandalism.


The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen was created by sculptor Edvard Eriksen and was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale.

The bronze figure weighs about 175 kilograms and sits on a low stone on a relatively secluded waterfront promenade in Copenhagen.

The statue has been repeatedly vandalized and intentionally damaged multiple times since its installation.

In 1964 the statue's head was stolen.

The statue's head was stolen again in 1998.

In 1984 one of the statue's arms was cut off by vandals.

In 2003 the statue was blown off its base with explosives and fell into the harbour.

In 2017 the statue was doused in red paint in a protest against whale hunting.

During the worldwide protests after George Floyd's death in 2020 the words "racist fish" were painted on the statue's base.

In early March 2023 the stone the statue sits on was painted with the white, blue and red colours of the Russian flag.

Danish police treated the 2023 Russian‑flag painting as deliberate damage and opened an investigation at the site.

The 2023 Russian‑flag painting was widely reported as an apparent statement of support for Moscow in the context of the Ukraine war.

The provided sources do not name specific perpetrators for most of the historic incidents, so who carried out several of the attacks is not specified in the documents.

Andersen scholars noted they were not aware of racist elements in the original fairy tale when commentators pointed to the 2020 "racist fish" graffiti.

Overall, the Little Mermaid has been the target of theft, physical mutilation, explosive damage, paint attacks, and politically or symbolically motivated graffiti over many decades.

Summary: The Little Mermaid has repeatedly suffered intentional damage including head thefts (1964 and 1998), an arm removal (1984), an explosives attack knocking it into the harbour (2003), paint attacks linked to protests (2017 and 2020), and a Russian‑flag painting on its base in 2023.

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen was created by sculptor Edvard Eriksen and was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale.

Title:

Content: Danish little mermaid like cornerstone painted Russian flag tricolor
A statue of the Little Mermaid, one of the most iconic tourist attractions in the Danish capital Copenhagen, was deliberately vandalized last night, and the cornerstone below the statue was painted with the white, blue and red colors of the Russian flag.
Advertisement
The Little Mermaid comes from the famous fairy tale of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, where the stone beneath the bronze statue is painted in three colors of the Russian flag.
Copenhagen police told Agence France-Presse that since they arrived this morning, "a case of vandalism has been filed" and "local investigations have been launched to trace traces".
It is clear that this means supporting Moscow ’ s position in the Ukraine war.
Some tourists, puzzled by this, took pictures of the damaged statue this morning.
The 175-kilogram Little Mermaid is a work by sculptor Edvard Eriksen, inspired by the Danish poet and writer Hans Christian Andersen ’ s 1837 fairy tale of the same name.
The statue, which sits next to a relatively secluded waterfront walkway, has been vandalized several times over the years, including two burglaries of its head in 1964 and 1998, and a severed arm in 1984. In 2003, the statue was blown loose with explosives and fell into the bay.
It has also been graffitied and painted several times, most recently in 2020 with the words “racist fish. ”

The bronze figure weighs about 175 kilograms and sits on a low stone on a relatively secluded waterfront promenade in Copenhagen.

The statue has been repeatedly vandalized and intentionally damaged multiple times since its installation.

Title:

Content: Russian Flag Painted on Copenhagen's Most Famous Landmark

It's the latest in a long line of attacks on Little Mermaid statue
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 2, 2023 10:15 AM CST

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, one of Denmark's most famous landmarks, has been vandalized yet again, this time with the Russian flag. Authorities said Thursday that the white, blue, and red stripes of the Russian flag were painted on the stone the statue sits on, Reuters reports. Police said the vandalism was discovered early Thursday. "We are of course launching an investigation to find out who did it and when and how it happened," a police spokesman said, per Jyllands-Posten.

Denmark, like other European nations, has strongly criticized Russia's war against Ukraine. The small statue, a tribute to the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, sits off a waterfront promenade in the Danish capital. It has been vandalized many times since it was installed 110 years ago, AFP reports. It has been decapitated twice and was knocked off its base with explosives in 2003. In 2017, it was doused in red paint in a protest against whale hunting. In 2020, during worldwide protests after the death of George Floyd, the words "racist fish" were painted on the base, though Andersen scholars said they weren't aware of any racist elements in the fairy tale. (Read more The Little Mermaid stories.)

We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy.
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X

In 1964 the statue's head was stolen.

The statue's head was stolen again in 1998.

In 1984 one of the statue's arms was cut off by vandals.

In 2003 the statue was blown off its base with explosives and fell into the harbour.

In 2017 the statue was doused in red paint in a protest against whale hunting.

During the worldwide protests after George Floyd's death in 2020 the words "racist fish" were painted on the statue's base.

In early March 2023 the stone the statue sits on was painted with the white, blue and red colours of the Russian flag.

Danish police treated the 2023 Russian‑flag painting as deliberate damage and opened an investigation at the site.

The 2023 Russian‑flag painting was widely reported as an apparent statement of support for Moscow in the context of the Ukraine war.

The provided sources do not name specific perpetrators for most of the historic incidents, so who carried out several of the attacks is not specified in the documents.

Andersen scholars noted they were not aware of racist elements in the original fairy tale when commentators pointed to the 2020 "racist fish" graffiti.

Overall, the Little Mermaid has been the target of theft, physical mutilation, explosive damage, paint attacks, and politically or symbolically motivated graffiti over many decades.

Summary: The Little Mermaid has repeatedly suffered intentional damage including head thefts (1964 and 1998), an arm removal (1984), an explosives attack knocking it into the harbour (2003), paint attacks linked to protests (2017 and 2020), and a Russian‑flag painting on its base in 2023.