Coordinator General OIC-COMSTECH Highlights Role of Traditional Medicine in Addressing Global Disease Burden
Changchun, China : Coordinator General of OIC-COMSTECH, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, delivered a comprehensive and thought-provoking lecture on “Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine: Therapeutic Options to Overcome the Global Disease Burden,” during the 13th World Integrative Medicine Congress (WIMCO 2025) held in Changchun, China. He highlighted the growing global relevance of evidence-based traditional medicines in modern healthcare systems.
In his keynote lecture, Prof. Dr. Choudhary emphasized that the current drug discovery paradigm is increasingly unsustainable and non-inclusive, particularly for developing countries facing challenges of affordability, access, and drug insecurity. He underlined that traditional and complementary medicines continue to serve as the primary source of healthcare for a large segment of the global population, especially in low – and middle-income countries.
Addressing the question “Can traditional medicines fill the gap?”, he explained that evidence-based Traditional and Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) has the potential to serve as first-line treatment for numerous diseases, contribute to disease prevention, and promote overall health. He noted that traditional medicines are inherently sustainable, offer vast structural diversity from natural sources, and are particularly well-suited for managing chronic diseases.
Prof. Dr. Choudhary also highlighted the World Health Organization’s recommendation for member states to seamlessly integrate TCIM into mainstream healthcare systems, stressing that such integration can significantly reduce healthcare inequities and strengthen national health resilience.
During the lecture, he shared insights into Pakistan-China collaboration in traditional medicine, including initiatives undertaken by OIC-COMSTECH in partnership with leading Chinese universities and institutions. He referred to the establishment of the Sino-Pakistan Cooperation Centre on Traditional Medicine at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, as a model for South-South scientific cooperation.
Prof. Dr. Choudhary further discussed COMSTECH’s extensive collaboration with Chinese institutions such as Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Ningbo University, China Science and Technology Exchange Center (CSTEC), Huawei Technologies, and Xinjiang Medical University, aimed at advancing research, innovation, knowledge sharing, and capacity building in traditional medicine and biotechnology.
The lecture concluded with a global call for strengthened international partnerships through OIC-COMSTECH, interdisciplinary research, and policy support to harness the full potential of traditional medicines for global health, sustainable development, and inclusive innovation.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
