TEHRAN – A total of eight faculties and 13 educational groups of Iranian traditional medicine are operating in universities of medical sciences, Nafiseh Hosseini Yekta, the director of the health ministry’s Persian medicine office, has said.

So far, 400 people have graduated at the doctorate level, and 400 students are studying in this field, she added.

She went on to note that one of the important issues for the Ministry of Health is to facilitate the establishment of Iranian traditional medicine faculties in the country, expressing hope to establish several faculties by the end of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 20, 2023).

Apothecaries are completely active in the field of medicinal herbs, however, offering and renewing the license of apothecaries in Tehran is subject to passing an educational and scientific course, she stated.

Iranian traditional medicine strongly focuses on prioritizing health maintenance and disease prevention over treatment.

It is one of the most ancient forms of traditional medicine. It is grounded in the concept of four senses of humor: phlegm (Balgham), blood (Dam), yellow bile (Safra'), and black bile (Sauda'). The concept of the four senses of humor is based on the teachings of Rhazes and Avicenna in an elaborate medical system.

So far, about 30,000 plant species have been identified in the world, with Iran's share of about 8,000 species which is more than the whole of species found in Europe.

Iranian traditional medicine strongly focuses on prioritizing health maintenance and disease prevention over treatment.

Some 2,300 species of medicinal plants have been identified in the country, accounting for one-third of the medicines used in human societies.

The per capita consumption of medicinal plants in Iran is about one kilogram of dried plants, in other words, 83,000 tons of medicinal plants worth 1.2 trillion rials (around $4 million) are consumed in the country, while in Europe this amount is 900 grams and in the United States is 2.5 kilograms.

The export revenue of medicinal plants is estimated at $700 million, the caretaker of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, Rouhollah Dehghani, said.

Iran ranks fourth worldwide in the production of science in the field of traditional medicine, and the remarkable achievement will improve in the coming years, Hosseini Yekta announced.

Over 17,000 books have so far been published about Persian traditional medicine, which has been recognized by the World Health Organization, she noted.

FB/MG