Kerala launches senior committee to map holistic health and longevity strategy

Kerala's government has created a senior committee to design a comprehensive plan for health, wellness and long life in the state. The panel is led by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, with Health Minister K. Muraleedharan serving as vice‑chair, and Sharmila Mary Joseph, the principal secretary for health and AYUSH, acting as member‑coordinator. Sixteen experts join the group, including finance chief K.R. Jyothilal, chief minister’s secretary Ratan Kelkar, former Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Deepak Singhal, liver specialist Shiv Kumar Sarin, KEF Holdings chairman Faizal E Kottikolon, AVP Coimbatore MD C. Devidas Varier, Mahajan Imaging head Harsh Mahajan, Jive Ayurva chair Pratap Chauhan, Global Hospital Hyderabad chair Kancherioa Ravindranath, ReAct Asia Pacific director S.S. Lal, Arya Vaidya Sala chief physician P.M. Varier, International Cancer Care Network USA chair M.V. Pillai and Association of Kerala Medical Graduates in North America president‑elect Nisha Nigil. The first task is to evaluate the state’s disease load, ageing patterns, health‑service capacity and access gaps, and to pinpoint key populations, illnesses and districts. It will then craft a staged prevention and early‑detection system covering risk checks, screening rules, referral routes, follow‑up and measurable coverage goals, aligned with existing state and national schemes. A major focus is to find evidence‑based ways to link modern medicine with Ayurveda and other recognized systems, setting clear practice limits, clinical oversight, consent rules and adverse‑event reporting. The panel will also study building a network of diagnostics, hospitals, rehabilitation and wellness centres, pilot criteria, accreditation and quality checks. It will propose a health intelligence and longevity data grid that works with current systems while protecting privacy and security. Workforce training for nurses, allied health staff and public‑health workers, plus research ties in health economics, are also on the agenda. Investment options, public‑private partnership models, fiscal safeguards and benefits for diagnostics and wellness infrastructure will be examined, as will tourism standards and needed legal changes. The committee will review the proposed World Holistic Health Forum after assessing its aims and costs. A detailed action report, including baseline data, pilot projects, a three‑year roadmap, cost estimates and risk analysis, must be delivered within two months of the first meeting. The Health and Family Welfare department will coordinate the effort with support from AYUSH, Finance and other ministries. ## Context This initiative reflects Kerala’s long‑standing emphasis on public health and its aim to combine traditional and modern care to address an ageing population and rising chronic diseases.