TEHRAN – According to a recent survey, 83.8 percent of people in the country tend to benefit from Iranian traditional medicine, the director of the health ministry’s Persian medicine office has said.

The survey's findings have confirmed people's positive attitude towards Persian traditional medicine. However, only 10 out of 83.8 percent use traditional medicine and supplements for the treatment of their illnesses, IRNA quoted Nafiseh Hosseini-Yekta as saying.

The official made the remarks while addressing the second national congress on Persian medicine, being held from November 12 to 14 in Tehran.

If experts from both conventional and traditional medicine enhance cooperation based on international approaches, people will be able to make the best use of traditional medicine. Otherwise, there will be more cases of drug-disease interactions, Hosseini-Yekta noted.

The second national congress on Persian medicine has brought together experts in Persian medicine, traditional pharmacy, and the history of Iranian traditional medicine.

It is centered around Preventive medicine and lifestyle medicine; Personalized medicine, precision medicine, reticulotype and Persian medicine; Food, nutrition, medicinal cuisine; Traditional, herbal, natural medicines, and pharmaceutical formulations; Rational prescription of drugs in Persian medicine; Technology, diagnostic and therapeutic tools; manual therapy techniques; Persian medicine tourism; History of Persian medicine and medical sciences; Persian medicine and the art of living; as well as Integrative and complementary medicine.

The first national congress was held in May 2024. The main goal of the congress is to foster a deeper understanding of traditional medicine to promote collaboration among specialists in different fields of medicine. It also aims to globalize Iranian medicine by showcasing the latest achievements and findings to scientific communities worldwide

Persian traditional medicine

Like many ancient medical systems, Persian medicine takes a holistic approach to health, emphasising lifestyle factors such as adhering to a proper diet, moderate exercise, sufficient sleep, and mental/emotional balance.

According to Roshanak Ghods, an associate professor of Persian medicine at Iran University of Medical Sciences, many treatments in Persian medicine focus on restoring balance and boosting the body’s natural healing capacities.

“The knowledge accumulated over centuries of practice and research provides clinical insights and therapeutic approaches complementary to modern medicine”, she said. “Preserving this medical tradition and making it accessible ensures that people today can benefit from this time-tested system of natural healing and its unique principles, but of course, we also need the evidence on the effectiveness and safety of traditional and complementary medicine, based on suitable research methods for personalised medicine.”

Ghods’ vision is for a health-care system that combines traditional and conventional medicine, without prejudice. “Our goal for the future should be to provide personalised, patient-centred care that addresses the person's mind, body, and spirit”, she said.

Ghods encourages policymakers to work out the most responsible way to integrate traditional and conventional medicine and to ensure providers are knowledgeable about different treatment options and how they might interact with or complement each other. “Our ultimate aim should be to have a comprehensive health-care system focused on the patient’s needs and preferences, not proving the superiority of one medical discipline over the other”, she concluded.

MT/MG