The authors have no conflict of interest and no funding was received for this study.

The increasing antimicrobial resistance exhibited by microorganisms causing superficial skin infections has led to extensive research on the therapeutic potential of Ayurvedic preparations. Medicinal plants contain many types of naturally occurring and side effectsfree anti microbial compounds that can be effectively used against microbial infections. We tested the antimicrobial activity of twenty-eight Ayurvedic preparations used to treat superficial infections in a local Ayurvedic healthcare institution. They were tested against Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum gypseum, Candida albicans, Malassezia furfur, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Twelve preparations showed significant antimicrobial activity and gave inhibition zones >10 mm. Two Ayurvedic preparations (Mixture containing Terminella chebula, Terminella bellerica and Emblica officinalis and one of Terminella chebula only ) showed antimicrobial activity against all the microorganisms tested. We suggest that these two decoctions could be effectively used against all the above tested strains.

The discovery that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is the main cause of most gastro duodenal diseases has dramatically changed the management of these diseases. Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment. However, prevalence of H. pylori antibiotic resistance is increasing worldwide, and is the main factor affecting the efficacy of current therapeutic regimens.In Sri Lanka, although eradication therapy for H. pylori by antibiotics is commonly advocated, due to a lack of susceptibility data, it has not been possible to formulate suitable guidelines for clinical use.

Background:

Interpretation: It is not surprising that respondents who did not access CHPS were younger, more frequently male and did not have children, as this demographic group is generally healthy and less likely to seek healthcare. Respondents who did access CHPS typically returned for another visit. There remains some confusion within the community about the role of CHPS in the community with respondents often requesting advanced health services beyond the scope of CHPS. These preliminary results suggest the CHPS compounds will be utilized by community members but that the public would benefit from education on how CHPS fits into and complements the larger health system.