On the 2nd International Symposium on Traditional Chinese and Unani Medicine held in Changsha, China and Karachi, Islamabad last Saturday, over 400 medicinal professionals from both countries gathered and shared their commitment to strengthen cooperation on traditional medicine.
“Solid foundation has been made for China and Pakistan to cooperate. In the future, the two sides will further deepen cooperation in personnel training, clinical trials and drug registration in the field of traditional medicine, and jointly promote Chinese medicine to go global”, said Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Director of the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi.
Experts from the Sino-Pakistan Cooperation Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, the organizer of the event, told China Economic Net (CEN) about the latest developments in the space breeding of 7 Pakistani medicinal plants, a project undertaken by the center in collaboration with bilateral stakeholders. After the plant seeds successfully returned to Pakistan from China’s spacecraft Shenzhou 14, three varieties sprouted and are in good condition. Researchers will continue to record the information such as plant height, stem width, and crown width for composition and efficacy analysis, CEN reporter was told.
The center has also set up an international mentors’ team to train TCM professionals in Pakistan and cultivate Ph.Ds and post-docs.
At the symposium, Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Sindh Provincial Minister Health and Population Welfare, Department of Health & Population Welfare was presented with the appointment letter of Visiting Professor of the School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, a host of the meeting.
Two books, namely Zhongjing Spirit and Huxiang Culture, a book on the spirit and culture of traditional Chinese medicine, and Materia Medica Homologous with Food, were officially released and gifted to Pakistani guests at the event.
Scholars also exchanged academic ideas regarding the clinical application and basic research of traditional Chinese medicine and Unani medicine, such as international laws and regulations on Chinese (herbal) medicine, drug discovery combining ethnic medicine knowledge with modern science, study of medicine resources in the habitats of Dong ethnicity and their natural products, etc.
“The symposium is held in the year that marks the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Through collaboration on traditional medicine, China and Pakistan will contribute to preserving and promoting the health of mankind”, said Zhang Zaiqi, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Hunan University of Medicine, another host of the event.
