University of Tehran to Hold 1st National Congress of Iranian Traditional Medicine
The executive secretary of the first national congress of Iranian traditional medicine and a faculty member of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Azadeh Zareyee, said that the congress will be held in June this year.
"Iranian traditional medicine is a complete and dynamic school of medicine that has its roots in our country for thousands of years and is accepted all across the world,” she added.
“This year, for the first time, we decided to provide an opportunity for all those interested in this field, doctors and researchers, to use the new and up-to-date information in this field and share the information and results of their research with the National Congress of Iranian Medicine,” Zareyee said.
“Students, scientists, researchers and all people interested in this type of medicine can help the progress of Iranian traditional medicine by participating in this congress,” she noted.
Figures showed in April that Iran has exported more than $660 million worth of herbal medicines in recent years.
As a vast country with different climates, Iran is a suitable place for planting and growing different types of herbs, a report by the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology says, adding that as statistics show currently, about 90% of medicinal herbs are grown inside the country.
Despite the fact that growing herbs can generate a lot of revenues for Iran, the country’s share of exports of these herbal medicines in the global market is not good at all.
Available official reports indicate that the value of exports of medicinal herbs and herbal medicines in 2012 was about $350 million while the figure has reached more than $ 660 million in recent years. The total value of exports excluding saffron is estimated to have reached at $370 million.
According to the report, the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology’s Department for Development of Herbal Medicine and Traditional Medicine has made necessary planning to expand scientific and technological cooperation at the international level and provide more opportunities for exporting more herbal medicines to other countries.
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