Islamabad(WNAM Report): 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 concludes. The workshop was jointly organized by the COMSTECH (The Organization of the Islamic Cooperation Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation) and the National Academy of Science & Technology Senegal (ANSTS) at ANSTS in Dakar, Senegal.
Through a message, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhary, Coordinator General of COMSTECH, 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.
Prof. Dr. Ousmane Kane, President of ANSTS, 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% of patients first seek traditional medicines before resorting to allopathic treatments.
H.E. Saima Syed, Ambassador of Pakistan to Senegal, 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. Dr. Abdur Rashid, Consultant (Health Initiatives) at COMSTECH, delivered a lecture on the global protection of traditional and herbal medicines.
