TEHRAN – The Iranian traditional medicine foundation was officially inaugurated on Monday, July 16, with the aim of promoting healthy lifestyle and self-care throughout the country.

The foundation’s target is both universities and the public and is opened with the object of promoting and ensuring public health, IRNA quoted head of the foundation Mohammad Reza Shams Ardakani as saying.

He added that it is supposed to “build a bridge” between Iran and the international community to introduce Iranian traditional medicine. 
Referring to people’s freedom to choose different kinds of treatment, Ardakani noted that a valid approach in health care system is required to be trusted by people.
The foundation attempts to bring together all those who are authorized to work in this area, he highlighted.
He also added that most people working in this area are those who are graduated in medicine and acquired expertise in Iranian traditional medicine [by taking especial courses].
Meanwhile, Hossein Rezaeizadeh, head of the faculty of Iranian traditional medicine at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, for his part, said that “In addition to lifestyle modification and self-care education, conducting interdisciplinary research in related issues is among main focuses of the foundation.”
He went on to say that interdisciplinary studies in the field of Iranian traditional medicine is not fully organized in Iran; therefore, the foundation plans to take action toward coordinating the aforesaid studies and produce educational content.
Rezaeizadeh highlighted that benefactors should also help to invest in this sector.
The foundation’s policies are completely in harmony with those of Ministry of Health in the field of Iranian traditional medicine and there are no contradictions, he stated.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he referred to the issue of Iranian traditional medicine branding and said that international branding of Iranian medicine is of great significance. 
Mentioning attaris (shops selling medicinal plants) he explained that Ministry of Health is primarily concerned with the fact that they are involving in [illegal] treatment of the patients and writing prescriptions.
In this regard, the Ministry holds traditional medicine training courses for shop owners with the help of provincial governors, he concluded.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), traditional herbal medicines are naturally occurring, plant-derived substances with minimal or no industrial processing that have been used to treat illness within local or regional healing practices. Traditional herbal medicines are getting significant attention in global health debates.
Medicinal plants still form the basis of traditional or indigenous health systems and are reported by WHO to still be used by a majority of populations in most developing countries including Iran.
FB/MQ/MG