While progress has been made in both the research and practice
of Chinese medicine of ethnic minorities in recent years, their
future development still faces challenge, said Wang Guoqiang,
director of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese
Medicine (SATC).
China has published over 100 works on ethnic medicines such as
the Compendium of Herbs of Ethnic Minorities, a tome which
documents 396 herbs of Tibetan nationality, 422 herbs of Mongolian
nationality, 423 herbs of Uygur nationality and 400 herbs of Dai
nationality.
Currently, 14 research institutes or universities offered
courses on ethnic minority medicine to 17,000 students.
Currently,156 pharmaceutical companies specialize in ethnic
medicine. In addition, by the end of 2006, 15 ethnic minorities had
their own hospitals.
"The special curative effects and low price of ethnic minority
medicine are welcomed by ethnic minority people," Wang said.
Tibetan medicine has marked curative effects in treating
altitude sickness, digestive problems and rheumatic disease.
Mongolian medicine was good at curing diabetes and blood
disease.
"However, the introduction of Western medicine to China and
therapies that combined Western medicine and traditional Chinese
medicine challenged the future development of ethnic minority
medicines," he said.
Wang called for greater efforts to speed up theoretical studies
and research of ethnic minority medicines. He also urged medical
institutes and universities to foster more talents for ethnic
minority medicines.
Currently, China only has qualification exams for practitioners
of four ethnic minorities medicines -- Tibetan, Mongolian, Uygur
and Dai -- and 5,418 practitioners have passed the exam and
received their credentials.
China is home to 56 official ethnic groups. The Han nationality,
the largest group, makes up about 92 percent of the country's
population. The rest, 55 ethnic minorities, share China's vast land
and maintain their own traditions and customs.
(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2007)