Research Projects:

Project 1
1. Title of the project: Herbal Garden for Medicinal Plants of the Western Ghats
region
2. Principal Investigator: Dr. S.D. Kholkute, Scientist G, Officer-in-Charge, RMRC,
Belgaum
3. Co-Investigator: Dr. K.N. Kattimani, Professor, Dept. of Medicinal and Aromatic
Plants, KRC College of Horticulture, Arabhavi
4. Subject Key words: Herbal Garden, Western Ghats, Medicinal Plants
5. Objectives:
Conservation of medicinal plants of Western Ghats.
Popularizing use of local medicinal plants and Indian system of medicine.
Establishment of sustainable medicinal plants resource base and dissemination of
information.
Developing the protocol for propagation techniques for important medicinal plants.
Developing a gene-pool of indigenous and exotic plant species.
6. Introduction:
The Western Ghats of India covers an area of 1,60,000 Sq. Km., which is
among the ecologically richest regions and considered as one of the eight 'hottest'
biodiversity hotspots of the 34 identified biodiversity hotspots worldwide. Of the
15,000 plant species recorded so far, 4,000 are endemic to the region.
As the region boasts of a tremendous diversity of plant and animal life, the
forests are source of herbal medicine for many of the local ethnic communities. This
indigenous system of medicine thrives on naturally occurring floral diversity,
collectively referred to as medicinal plants. However, interest in Ayurveda and
traditional medicine, which has a known history of treating and curing mankind across
five millennia, has increased globally, it is becoming homeless in its own birthplace.
Many of the herbal remedies, which are evolved over generations of experience and
practice, are not well documented and are unknown or least known to the modern
world. Meantime, it is evident that the forests in the Western Ghats region are under
increasing stress due to over exploitation, degradation and habitat destruction

affecting the very existence of medicinal plant flora. Already 586 species of the plants
from the region are endangered and feature in the 'Red Data' book. Thus, there is an
urgent need of conservation priorities, primarily for the medicinal plants which are
facing the maximum stress and are in the verge of extinction.
Thus, there is a need to create awareness among the public about the
importance of our traditional heritage of herbal healing and importance of medicinal
plants and their conservation.
7. Methodology:
The methodology for establishment of herbal garden involved following
procedures:
- Preparation of land and landscaping
- Collection and planting of medicinal plants
- Development of irrigation and lighting facilities
- Development of propagation protocols
- Development of IEC system
8. Results:
In all 364 medicinal plants have been planted in the garden so far. The basic
information about the plants is made available on spot. The IEC system is well
developed and People belonging to various backgrounds (Ayurveda, traditional
practice, pharmaceuticals, herbal research), professions (Teachers, Students,
Researchers, Herbal healer) and age groups are visiting the garden.
9. Conclusions:
The garden is helping in conservation and creating awareness among the visitors.

Project 2
1. Title of the project: Museum of Ethnomedicinal Plants of Western Ghats
2. Investigator: Dr. S.D. Kholkute, Scientist G & Officer-in-Charge, RMRC, Belgaum
3. Co-Investigator: NIL
4. Subject Key words: Museum, Western Ghats, Medicinal Plants, Crude drugs
5. Objectives:
To provide scientific information on medicinal plants of Western Ghats and their
usages

 To create awareness on role of medicinal plants/ ethnomedicobotany in health care

and drug development
To improve knowledge on importance of Western Ghats as a biodiversity hot spot
and conservation of medicinal plants
To disseminate scientific information on ethno-medicinal plants of Western Ghats
6. Introduction:
Over the centuries, people in India have had a fascination and respect for the
natural heritage, traditional plant ethics and herbal medicine has become a part of its
culture. This wealth of traditional herbal knowledge is diminishing with the
advancement of modern medicine. However, these valuable traditional practices are
still followed in deep woods and interior tribal areas of India. One such area is the
Western Ghats, which runs majestically parallel to the west coast of India covering an
area approximately equal to160,000 sq.km. It is amongst the 32 biodiversity hot-spots
identified in the world, due to its rich and unique assemblage of flora and fauna.
Among approximately 4000 flowering plant species of Western Ghats, more than
2000 plants are reported to be of medicinal value. This wealth of medicinal plants as
well as their information resources is diminishing day by day due to over exploitation
and lack of interest in herbal medicine. Mean time the complete information on
medicinal plants of the Western Ghats is not available in one place. The
establishment of museum dedicated to the medicinal plant wealth of Western Ghats
is a step towards fulfilling this lacuna.
7. Methodology:
The methodology followed for the establishment of the museum is as follows:
Infrastructure Development:
- Preparation and Display of Photographs, Herbaria, Charts etc.
- Collection of plant parts of medicinal value
- Development of Herbaria and crude drug depository
- Digitalization of Information
- IEC activities
8. Results:
The required infrastructure is developed in the Centre. More than 710
photographs of 265 species of medicinal plants were collected during the process, of
which 113 laminated colour photographs are displayed in the museum. A total of 384
herbaria of 188 species were prepared. Illustrative scientific charts of various

branches of traditional medicine like Ayurveda and Siddha (Indian systems of

medicine), modern medicine, pharmacology, pharmacognosy etc. were prepared and
are displayed in the museum. A total of 200 crude drug samples are collected so far,
of which 128 are dry preserved specimens and 72 are wet preserved specimen
samples. Most of the collected information is stored in digital format. The photographs
of the plants were stored electronically to develop Digital Image Library of the
medicinal plants. All the prepared herbaria are scanned and stored in the computer
system, which is serving as Digital Herbaria. Training programs and workshops were
conducted as a part of IEC activity. The people from various backgrounds and
profession are regularly visiting the museum.
9. Conclusions:
The museum is serving as the IEC centre for medicinal plants and traditional
medicine system in the region. It is expected that, this will prove a important societal
activity and provide scientific information once it is fully established.

Project 3
1. Title of the project: Grant-in-aid for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions
2. Investigator: Dr. Harsha Hegde, Scientist B, RMRC (ICMR), Belgaum
3. Co-Investigators:
i. Mr. S. M. Jirlimath (Program Coordinator), Belgaum Integrated Rural
Development Society (BIRDS) Naganur
ii. Dr B. S. Prasad, Principal, B M K Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, Shahapur,
Belgaum
4. Project Co-ordinator: Mr. Shripad Bhat , RA, RMRC (ICMR), Belgaum
5. Subject Key words: Traditional medicine, PRA, Toxicology, Clinical assessment
6. Objectives:
Systematic participatory documentation of Local Health Traditions (LHT) related
to primary healthcare conditions
Rapid assessment of selected health practices, prioritized by local communities,
based on literature review.
Pre-clinical (Pharmacological/ toxicological) and clinical studies on high priority
local health practices.
- for already identified diseases and formulations based on previously
conducted studies.(Gastro Intestinal and Joint disorders)

- for newly emerging diseases and formulations out of PRA exercises in the
present study.
To support and encourage local health traditions by strengthening local self help
groups, home remedies to meet the primary healthcare needs of community
and orientation training for traditional practioners.
7. Introduction:
Traditional system of medicine has been practiced since historical times and
traces its roots to ancient civilizations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has
recently defined traditional medicine (including herbal drugs) as comprising
therapeutic practices that have been in existence, often for hundreds of years, before
the development and spread of modern medicine and are still in use today. This
traditional medicine is still the mainstay of about 7580% of the world population,
mainly in the developing countries, for primary health care because of better cultural
acceptability, better compatibility with the human body and lesser side effects.
India has a long history of healing tradition, in fact from pre-historic era. It is
estimated that over 6000 plants in India are in use in traditional, folk and herbal
medicine, representing about 75% of the medicinal needs of the Third World
countries. More than 80% of the population, especially the rural folk are still
dependent on traditional herbal remedies for their primary healthcare. However the
rich tradition of herbal healing, which has the potential to tackle primary healthcare
problems of millions and enable them health security, is eroding fast due to lack of
social and policy support. Therefore there is an urgent need of revitalization of these
traditional medical systems for their conservation through which the whole mankind
can be benefited.
8. Methodology:
-

PRA of primary healthcare conditions in the study area

Documentation of available traditional practices for the treatment of prioritized

conditions

Rapid assessment of selected practices

Pre-clinical (Toxicological and pharmacological) assessment of selected

practices

Clinical assessment of selected practices

Propagation of validated practices in the community

9. Results:

The preclinical evaluation of practices for two conditions namely arthritis and
pain in abdomen is completed so far. None of the formulations are found to be toxic
and the results are encouraging. However, the experiments are still on their way as
the project completed only first year.
10. Conclusions: Project initiated from 2008, once successfully completed, the results
may help in revitalization of local health practices.

Project 4
1. Title of the project: An ICMR Task- Force study to understand Community and the
Health care providers perspective on male controlled biological option in India.
2. Investigator: Dr. Seema Sahay (Social and Behavioral Scientist) NARI, Pune.
3. Co-Investigator: Dr. S.M. Mehendale (Epidemiologist ), Dr. Sheela Godabole (Skin &
STD Specialist), Mr. Amit Nirmalkar (Statistician), Mrs. Neelam Joglekar (Consultant)
ICMR Investigator: Dr. Nomita Chandhiok (Sr. Scientific Advisor) , Dr. Anju Sinha
(Co-principal Investigator)
Study Site Co-Investigator: Dr. Sanjiva Kholkute Scientist G & OiC, RMRC,
Belgaum, Mr. Shripad Bhatt (Co-investigator), Dr. Sibnath Deb Co-Investigator, Dr.
Rukma Idanani (Co-investigator) LLRM Medical College, Meerut.
Coordinating /Study site co-investigator:
Dr. Shalini Bharat (co-investigator), Dean, Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai
Dr. Vinay Kulkarni (Co-investigator), Medical Director, Prayas
4. Subject Key words: HIV, Male controlled biological options, circumcision.
5. Objectives:
(i)

To study the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices of male condom

and circumcision in circumcising and non circumcising population groups.

(ii)

To understand the health care providers knowledge, views, attitudes

towards male controlled prevention options including male circumcision.

(iii)

To identify the barriers and concerns expressed by health care providers

on male circumcision as a potential method of HIV prevention and masses
their willingness to provide male circumcision services

(iv)

To explore strategies to offer the services as part of prevention program

by exploring the views of community and formulate messages for creating
awareness in the community regarding male circumcision as an
intervention for HIV prevention in target groups.

4. Introduction :
Compelling scientific evidence exists of utility of male circumcision as HIV prevention
strategy. The early termination of two randomized controlled trials of male circumcisionin
Kenya and Ugandaon the basis of interim evidence that male circumcision provided a
protective benefit against HIV infection of 53% among the 2784 Kenyan men and 51%
among the 4996 Ugandan men enrolled (Gray et al, 2007). The Kenya and Uganda trials
replicated the landmark findings of the South African Orange Farm study, the first
randomized controlled trial to report a greater than 50% protective benefit of male
circumcision (Auvert et al, 2005).
In India, male circumcision is traditionally and commonly practiced in certain minority
community/ies and majority of the male Indian population is non-circumcised. Hence male
circumcision as HIV prevention strategy may not be accepted at general community level.
The issue of male circumcision has to be explored from socio-cultural, religious perspective
at community level in order to decide about the policy regarding MC as a possible HIV
prevention option in India. The WHO and UNAIDS guidelines emphasize and recommend
male circumcision as a potential HIV prevention clinical option within health delivery settings.
There has been no study to understand health care providers perspective of male
circumcision in India. If male circumcision is to be adopted in India as a HIV prevention
strategy, we need to fill in existing gaps like how to improve quality and access to traditional
and medical circumcision, how to determine the age of circumcision, identifying support
services and extent of capacity building necessary at infrastructure and personnel level.

In order to understand male circumcision in a health care setting within the religious and
cultural framework of India, a classical study design has been proposed with a qualitative
study initially. The findings of the qualitative study would help in understanding the providers
concerns as well as strategies for integrating male circumcision in overall health care
delivery. Considering the religious and regional differences, a survey tool will be developed
which will be tested on the representative samples of health care providers in different parts
of the country.

7. Methodology :

Study Tools
In depth interviews will be used for data collection
Study Design
The proposed study is qualitative study. The study will have two components, namely
Health care providers and community.

8. Results: Project initiated from 2009, It is still under progress.

9. Conclusions: Project initiated from 2009, It is still under progress.

Project 5
1. Title of the project: Understanding delivery, access and utilization of HIV services in
Goa and Belgaum
2. Investigator: Dr. R.R. Gangakhedkar Deputy Director, NARI, Pune
3. Co-Investigator:

Dr. Sanjiva Kholkute Scientist G & OiC, RMRC, Belgaum,

Dr. Pradeep Padwal, Project Director, Goa State AIDS Control
Society, Goa
Dr. Seema Sahay Assistant Director, NARI, Pune.

4. Subject Key words: HIV, services, healthcare

5. Objectives:

To map available HIV services and relationship amongst the health care
components in Goa and Belgaum

To document HIV services and management practices

To identify barriers and facilitators of HIV/AIDS services use.

To identify patients pathways to care.

5. Introduction:
India has the second highest number of HIV infected people in any single country
next to South Africa. The total number of HIV infection in the country is estimated to
be 2.47 million (2.0-3.1 million). The highest number of HIV infected individuals are in
Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, with nearly 0.5 million each. Andhra Pradesh,
Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, the four south Indian states contribute 63%

of all the PLHA in the country. Based on recent estimates by NACO, the adult HIV
prevalence is estimated to be 0.36% (0.27% to 0.47%). Estimated HIV prevalence is
greater among males (0.43%) than among females (0.29%).Equally challenging is
that this prevalence masks a significant heterogeneity in the epidemic throughout the
country and between districts with in each State.

The National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) of India has launched its third five
year plan on the first of April 2007. The primary goal of NACP III is to halt and
reverse the epidemic in India over the nest 5 years by integrating programmes for
prevention, care, support and treatment.

Migration Dynamics and HIV health care in Goa and Northern Karnataka
In India, Goa and Belgaum exemplify some of the factors that make HIV service
delivery such a challenge within the Indian context. Goa, a small state on the western
coast of India, has a population of 1.12 million and a large, unknown number of
seasonally migrant people. It is a medium prevalent State with antenatal prevalence
that has remained under 1% despite an established epidemic in high risk groups such
as sex workers and male STI clinic attendees. Ten to eleven thousand people are
tested annually for HIV though the public sector of which around 9% are found to have
HIV. The number of private testing laboratories is unknown. There are an estimated
12000 people who have HIV and over 1000 estimated to need ART of which almost
half are receiving disease and are Goans. Public sector health care is provided through
the Directorate of Health Services which a runs primary health care Centres, cottage
hospital and two district hospitals in the North and the South. Teriary referral services
are provided by the Goa Medical College. The vertical programmes of Revised National
Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), the National AIDS Control Programme
(NACP), and the Vector Borne Disease Control programmes (VBDC) and the maternal
child health programmes (MCH) are all under the auspices of the DHS. Tertiary referral
specialist services as well as medical training are provided by the Goa Medical College
that is independent from the DHS. In addition to the public sector there are a large not
for profit sector that includes more than ten non governmental organizations, two
PLHIV groups and three residential care homes which are funded by a variety for
sources including the National AIDS Control Organization and international agencies
such as HIVOS and USAID. Currently Goa has four voluntary counseling and testing

sites ran by Goa State AIDS Control Society (GSACS) in Goa medical college and the
three DHS hospitals.

Northern Karnataka is one of the hot spots of Indias HIV epidemics, wherein sex
work is common and seasonal migration for work is a norm amongst the rural
population (8). Two districts of Karnataka i.e. Belgaum and Hassan have reported
antenatal clinic HIV prevalence persistently of 3-4%. Belgaum has a population of
about 4.2 million (Census, 2001) with the 3/4th population residing in rural area and the
rest in the urban area. In Belgaum, the public health services are provided by
Directorate of health services. There is one district hospital. The District hospital is
public sector tertiary care centre. The rural population avail the health services through
134 Primary Health Centres and 10 Community Health Centres. The free ART centre is
available at District Hospital in Belgaum. Total of 31 functioning ICTC/VCTC Centres
are available in Belgaum. Last year around 35000 individuals were tested in these
Centres of which 11.4% were found positive for HIV (14). In addition, there are around
10 numbers of NGOs working in this area. The private sector provides the diagnostic
and treatment facility but it is difficult to estimate the exact number of test performed
and cases treated by them.

6. Methodology:
Mapping and listing of available services by survey methods.
Qualitative research methods: Key informant interviews, Clients Exit interview
and Structural Observation
Cross sectional survey of health care providers
Record Reviews.

7. Results: Project initiated from 2009, it is still under progress.

8. Conclusion: Project initiated from 2009, it is still under progress.

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