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ISLAMABAD, Nov 19 (APP):The two-day regional seminar on “Plant Materials and their Clinical Validation in the Management of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders: Challenges and Scope,” jointly organised by OIC-COMSTECH and the Asian Network of Research on Antidiabetic Plants (ANRAP), concluded on Wednesday, reinforcing the need for scientific validation, regulatory harmonisation and enhanced regional collaboration in plant-based therapeutic research.
The speakers, while addressing the inaugural session, had emphasised that diabetes poses one of the most serious health and development challenges for Pakistan and many developing countries.
They highlighted the growing global interest in traditional and plant-based medicine and underscored the need for evidence-based approaches to ensure safety, quality and clinical efficacy.
The commitment announced by Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal to establish dedicated traditional medicine desks in major public hospitals was widely welcomed by participants as an important step toward integrating natural therapeutics into mainstream healthcare.
Over the two days, more than 150 experts from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Egypt and other OIC member states took part in technical sessions covering medicinal plant research, metabolic disorders, pharmacological screening, molecular mechanisms, clinical validation and regulatory challenges.
Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General OIC-COMSTECH, said the seminar reaffirmed the “major scientific gap” in developing countries regarding molecular and genetic understanding of diseases.
He said the discussions strongly pointed toward the need for shifting from treatment-focused systems to prevention-driven healthcare, especially for chronic conditions like diabetes.
Prof. Choudhary reiterated COMSTECH’s commitment to expanding its health initiatives, including biomedical training, virology fellowships, the Africa health programme and humanitarian medical outreach, and noted that validated medicinal plants, coupled with lifestyle improvements, can play a significant role in addressing diabetes across OIC countries.
Prof. Dr. Begum Rokeya, Network Leader and Secretary General of ANRAP, said the seminar strengthened regional momentum for systematic scientific validation of widely used traditional medicinal plants.
She stressed the importance of shared laboratory resources, harmonised protocols and cross-border clinical evaluation.
Participants appreciated Pakistan’s renewed policy direction in favour of traditional and plant-based medicine and expressed interest in deepening collaboration under the COMSTECH–ANRAP partnership.
The seminar concluded with agreement to form a regional working group to advance validation frameworks, standardisation efforts and joint research opportunities.