By Hina Kiyani
ISLAMABAD: A three-day training workshop on Regulations and Capacity Building in Traditional and Herbal Medicines for the Republic of Senegal and OIC West African countries concluded on Thursday.
The workshop was jointly organized by the The Organization of the Islamic Cooperation Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH ) and the National Academy of Science and Technology Senegal (ANSTS) at ANSTS in Dakar, Senegal.
Through a message, the Coordinator General of COMSTECH, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhary highlighted the growing trend of using traditional and herbal medicines in OIC member states, particularly in Senegal.
He emphasized that regulations are essential to ensure the safety, effectiveness, and quality of these medicines.
Prof. Chaudhary expressed COMSTECH’s commitment to supporting Senegal in drafting, finalizing, and promulgating legislation for traditional and herbal medicines.
President of ANSTS, Prof. Dr. Ousmane Kane delivered opening remarks expressing gratitude to COMSTECH, Pakistani partners, ANSTS, and Senegalese partners for organizing the workshop.
The Senegalese Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation thanked COMSTECH and the World Health Organization (WHO) for prioritizing traditional and herbal medicines.
The minister noted that in Senegal, 60 percent of patients first seek traditional medicines before resorting to allopathic treatments.
Ambassador of Pakistan to Senegal, Saima Syed pledged the embassy’s full support to COMSTECH in organizing similar interventions in West Africa.
The workshop brought together traditional healers, Hakims (practitioners of traditional medicine), researchers, academics, and scientists.
Consultant Health Initiatives at COMSTECH, Dr. Abdur Rashid delivered a lecture on the global protection of traditional and herbal medicines.
