YANGON, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has held its 9th Traditional Medicine Research Congress in Mandalay city in the central part to boost the use of such medicine, Myanmar News Agency reported Thursday.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the congress on Wednesday, Minister of Health and Sports Dr. Myint Htwe urged for promotion of research on Myanmar traditional medicine and cooperation between agriculturalists, botanists, traditional medicine producers and researchers to grow more herbal plants.
He called for accelerating the research programs to develop treatment and teaching of traditional medicine, production and planting of related herbs, plants and medicine, and accumulating positive public opinion on the medicine.
He stressed the importance of research for equitable development in all sectors of traditional medicine.
He proposed to invite traditional medicine practitioners from foreign countries including neighboring countries to attend the next congress with seminars on the medicine to be added.
The congress will present 39 research papers and 11 research posters, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Myanmar held its 19th Traditional Medicine Practitioners' Conference in the capital of Nay Pyi Taw in late December last year to promote all-round development and standard of Myanmar traditional medicine.
The government is also giving encouragement and protection of Myanmar traditional medicine to ensure systematic development of the traditional medical practice which can provide the health care need of the citizens in collaboration with western medicine.
Along with the opening of more traditional medicine hospitals and clinics to provide healthcare to the public, the government has established a university of traditional medicine to produce well qualified practitioners to develop human resources.
Myanmar traditional medicine is a genuine Myanmar traditional heritage which has developed in parallel and in correlation with Myanmar's natural environment, climate, traditional thinking and belief and society.
