Pakistan Calls for Stronger Promotion of Traditional Medicine Through OIC-COMSTECH

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has urged OIC-COMSTECH to play a proactive role in advancing traditional medicine to improve public health outcomes in Pakistan.
He expressed these views while addressing the inaugural session of the Pakistan–China International Conference on Food-Medicine Homology, Nutrition, and Health at the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology. The conference brought together prominent scientists, policymakers, regulators, and industry experts from Pakistan and China to deepen cooperation in health sciences, nutrition, and traditional medicine.
Describing the conference as both timely and significant, the minister underscored the need for a paradigm shift in Pakistan’s healthcare system—from a treatment-centric model to one focused on prevention. He emphasized that traditional and herbal medicine could play a critical role in maintaining public health and reducing disease burden. Highlighting Pakistan’s untapped potential, he noted that despite a rich heritage in herbal healing, the sector has remained underdeveloped due to limited institutional support, insufficient investment, and weak market integration.
Coordinator General COMSTECH Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary said the concept of Food-Medicine Homology reflects an integrated approach where food serves as both nourishment and a means of disease prevention. He termed Pakistan-China collaboration in traditional medicine and biomedical sciences a model of effective scientific diplomacy.
He further noted that China’s extensive expertise in traditional medicine, combined with Pakistan’s diverse medicinal plant resources, offers vast opportunities for innovation and industrial growth. He reiterated COMSTECH’s commitment to promoting evidence-based traditional medicine, establishing joint research centres, facilitating technology transfer, and supporting the development of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries across borders.
In his keynote remarks, Liu Xinmin, Member of the World Health Organization’s Expert Advisory Panel on Traditional Medicine and Chief Scientist at Ningbo University, described the conference as a reflection of the deep-rooted scientific partnership between Pakistan and China. He highlighted over two decades of collaboration spanning herbal medicine, nutrition, space medicine, and drug discovery.
He cited key achievements including the establishment of Sino-Pakistan centres on Traditional Chinese Medicine, joint research laboratories, training of Pakistani healthcare professionals in China, and regulatory approvals of Chinese health products in Pakistan. He also commended Prof. Choudhary for strengthening scientific linkages between Pakistan, China, and the broader Muslim world.
The conference featured a series of technical sessions, where leading researchers from both countries presented findings on medicinal plants, clinical research, food safety regulations, pharmaceutical collaboration, and nutrition-based healthcare solutions.
The inaugural ceremony commenced with the national anthems of Pakistan and China, followed by a recitation from the Holy Qur’an. Atia-ul-Wahab from the Panjwani Center at the University of Karachi introduced the conference. Other speakers included DRAP CEO Obaidullah, while remarks on behalf of Sindh Health Minister Azra Fazal Pechuho were also presented. SZABIST Islamabad Campus Head Khusroo Pervaiz Khan also addressed the participants.