Nanchang Initiative on SCO Traditional Medicine Cooperation released

Director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yu Wenming, announced the "Nanchang Initiative on SCO Traditional Medicine Cooperation"on July 29 at the opening ceremony of the 2021 SCO Forum on Traditional Medicine in Nanchang, China.

Yu Wenming, Director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the 2021 SCO Forum on Traditional Medicine in Nanchang, capital city of East China's Jiangxi province. [Photo provided by Wang Jian from China Daily]

According to the document, traditional medicine refers to a variety of knowledge, skills, and practices based on theories, beliefs, and experiences specific to different cultures to maintain health, prevent, diagnose, improve, or treat physical and mental diseases.

SCO countries recognized the positive role of traditional medicine in fighting against COVID-19. They also praised its excellent support in protecting people's health and building a shared community of health for mankind.

China is dedicated to promoting extensive inter-governmental and people-to-people exchanges in education, medical treatment, research, and the medicinal material resources of traditional medicine, and proposed the following initiative:

Chinese, Russian and English editions of the initiative released on July 29 in Nanchang, China. [Photo provided by Wang Jian from China Daily]

The heritage, innovation, and development of traditional medicine are of great significance when it comes to the healthy development of the domestic health system. Countries should be committed to protecting traditional medicine culture and resources, promoting its closer integration with modern medicine in order for traditional medicine to play a more prominent role and contribute more to global health governance.

Countries will actively conduct research on the prevention, diagnosis improvement, or treatment of both physical and mental diseases with traditional medicine, to achieve  its safe and effective use. Countries will jointly explore how to handle common health challenges, including chronic diseases, new or recurrent infectious diseases, and cross-border public health emergencies with traditional medicine.

They will boost education and training on traditional medicine, enhance its market promotion, and strengthen exchanges between traditional medicine providers in order to encourage mutual learning and enhance the overall capacity.

SCO countries will actively exchange and cooperate on medicinal plant-based traditional medicine to establish a multi subject, multi-level, multi-form, and multi-angle cooperation framework. They will also proactively develop trade-in-services to facilitate the overall development of traditional medicine.

The heritage and innovation of traditional medicine have had a positive impact on the progress of world civilization. Countries should further strengthen cooperation in the field of traditional medicine, in order to better serve human health and realize the vision of "Health for All."

SCO counties are expected to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in traditional medicine within the SCO framework and continue to hold the SCO Forum on traditional medicine.