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ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 (APP):At a time when rising healthcare costs, drug insecurity and unequal access to treatment are straining health systems worldwide, Coordinator General (CG) of OIC-COMSTECH Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary has called for greater integration of evidence-based traditional medicine into modern healthcare to address the growing global disease burden.
Delivering a keynote lecture titled “Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine: Therapeutic Options to Overcome the Global Disease Burden” at the 13th World Integrative Medicine Congress (WIMCO 2025) in Changchun, China, Prof. Dr. Choudhary highlighted the increasing global relevance of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) as a viable, sustainable and inclusive healthcare approach.
He said the current drug discovery and development paradigm is becoming unsustainable and non-inclusive, particularly for developing countries facing challenges of affordability, access and dependence on imported medicines. He emphasized that traditional and complementary medicines continue to serve as the primary source of healthcare for a large segment of the world’s population, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
Addressing the question of whether traditional medicine can bridge existing healthcare gaps, Prof. Dr. Choudhary noted that evidence-based TCIM has the potential to function as first-line treatment for many diseases, play a key role in prevention, and support overall well-being.
He added that traditional medicines are inherently sustainable, offer immense structural diversity derived from natural sources, and are particularly effective in managing chronic diseases.
Highlighting global policy directions, he referred to the World Health Organization’s recommendations urging member states to integrate TCIM into mainstream healthcare systems.
Such integration, he stressed, could significantly reduce healthcare inequities and enhance national and global health resilience.
The Coordinator General also shared insights into Pakistan-China cooperation in traditional medicine, citing initiatives undertaken by OIC-COMSTECH in collaboration with leading Chinese universities and institutions. He termed the Sino-Pakistan Cooperation Centre on Traditional Medicine, established at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, a successful model of South-South scientific cooperation.
Prof. Dr. Choudhary further outlined COMSTECH’s partnerships with institutions including Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Ningbo University, China Science and Technology Exchange Center (CSTEC), Huawei Technologies and Xinjiang Medical University. These collaborations, he said, are focused on advancing research, innovation, knowledge exchange and capacity building in traditional medicine and biotechnology.
Concluding his lecture, he called for stronger international partnerships through OIC-COMSTECH, greater interdisciplinary research and supportive policy frameworks to fully harness the potential of traditional medicines for global health, sustainable development and inclusive innovation.