ISLAMABAD: Cooperation between Pakistan and China in the field of traditional medicine can bring fruitful results and serve humanity across the globe, experts in Pakistan have said.
“In Pakistan, 70 percent population relies on traditional medicine for various diseases, so through cooperation with China, we are not only looking to launch traditional Chinese medicine in Pakistan, but also promote our own traditional ‘Greek medicine’ and streamline it to establish its proper market,” said Professor Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, coordinator general of the Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-COMSTECH).
Speaking to Xinhua on the sidelines of an event here themed on strengthening cooperation between China and the OIC in traditional medicine, Choudhary said the OIC member states including Iran and Indonesia are exploring traditional medicines, and in this regard, COMSTECH seeks to facilitate liaison between OIC member states and Chinese institutions for strengthening cooperation in the field of healthcare.
A delegation of 16 Chinese comprising researchers and industrialists from central China’s Hunan Province is currently visiting Pakistan to participate in the dialogue for collaboration in the fields of traditional medicine and biomedical sciences in the sphere of research, education, and industrial linkages.
The delegation also attended the event and showed interest in cooperating with Pakistan to promote traditional Chinese medicine, some of whose trials are also being conducted at Karachi University of Pakistan’s south Sindh province.
Speaking at the event, the president of the Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Dai Aiguo, said that in recent years, the acceptance rate of traditional Chinese medicine in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become higher, and cooperation between traditional Chinese medicine and traditional medicine of other countries has become extensive.
The professor said that in the future, the integration and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine and modern technology will become a new highlight and new engine in the construction of the BRI.
In his remarks, Syed Farooq Bukhari, chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association, said that the Sino-COMSTECH collaboration initiative provides an excellent opportunity for Pakistan to learn from China’s experiences to develop strategies and policies that are tailored to its own needs and priorities.
