Honors

Director General of the Persian Medicine and Complementary Medicine Office of the Ministry of Health stated: The use of Traditional Persian Medicine is the approach considered by the Ministry of Health, and this approach is on the agenda at the country's schools of traditional medicine, including the capable faculty in Kerman. Numerous and varied researches are being conducted in different fields in this regard. Iran's rank in the production of science in the field of traditional medicine and medicinal plants was fifth in the world last year, and this year it ranks fourth after India, China, and the United States. This upward trend has occurred in the country over the past ten years.

According to the news base of Physicians and Law (Palna), Dr. Nafiseh Hosseini Yekta stated on October 14, 2021, in a video conference with the unveiling ceremony of knowledge-based herbal products effective in treating COVID-19 in Kerman: "With effort in the right research and scientific direction, it is possible to achieve effective medicines in Traditional Persian Medicine."

The Director General of the Persian Medicine and Complementary Medicine Office of the Ministry of Health said: "The use of Traditional Persian Medicine is the approach considered by the Ministry of Health, and this approach is on the agenda at the country's schools of traditional medicine, including the capable faculty in Kerman. Numerous and varied researches are being conducted in different fields in this regard. Iran's rank in the production of science in the field of traditional medicine and medicinal plants was fifth in the world last year, and this year it ranks fourth after India, China, and the United States. This upward trend has occurred in the country over the past ten years."

According to ISNA, she added at the end: "One of the emphasized axes, in addition to the knowledge-based economy, is a special look at local capabilities. In all universities, traditional medicine groups can serve as a leapfrogging gateway to accelerate the university's entry into third and fourth generation universities. In traditional medicine, we may hear various marginal issues. The more positive discussions and research-based matters following the scientific path—such as these medicines being unveiled today—are highlighted, the less concerning and marginalizing issues for the health system will arise."

The Deputy for Development and Health of the Persian Medicine and Complementary Medicine Office of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced: Numerous scientific and research achievements have been made regarding the treatment of COVID-19, and several drugs have obtained the necessary licenses after completing clinical trial phases. Some have even reached the production stage and are available to the public. However, these achievements have not yet been incorporated into the country's pharmaceutical system and the protocols of the Ministry of Health. This festival can help facilitate this process.

According to the news base of Physicians and Law (Palna), Dr. Mozhgan Tansaz, referring to the holding of the Second Persian Medicine Festival on November 10, stated: "The special focus of this festival has been considered COVID-19, so that the measures taken in this area can be introduced to the scientific community. Numerous scientific and research achievements have been made in this regard. Several drugs have obtained the necessary licenses after completing clinical trial phases, and some have even reached the production stage and are available to the public. However, these achievements have not yet been incorporated into the country's pharmaceutical system and the protocols of the Ministry of Health. This festival can help facilitate this process."

She considered the cultural promotion and institutionalization of the motto of lifestyle modification in society as a necessity of the current situation in the country and added: "Persian Medicine is a rich scientific school based on prevention and lifestyle modification, and it encompasses a collection of diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines. Nevertheless, we witness some oppositions and unscientific, untrue statements regarding Persian Medicine, which are mainly due to the lack of proper understanding of this medical school and unawareness of the measures taken in this field."

The Deputy for Development and Health of the Persian Medicine and Complementary Medicine Office of the Ministry of Health said: "These factors, along with the incorrect and unscientific claims of some unqualified claimants, cause the efforts of those who have scientifically entered this field, moving based on evidence and scientific findings, and striving to improve public health, to go unnoticed, and we face a flood of attacks. Whereas, if this medical school were properly introduced, we would encounter fewer such oppositions and incorrect judgments."

Referring to the holding of the Second Persian Medicine Festival in November this year, Tansaz considered it the most important upcoming scientific event and said: "One of the methods for developing Persian Medicine and introducing the position and achievements of this medical school to the entire country and the conventional medical community is holding such events, which can effectively introduce its capacities to everyone."

She emphasized: "This scientific event can be very effective in synergizing scientists and researchers and strengthening the capacities of this field. Gathering all these potentials and introducing them to society increases the motivation of graduates in this discipline. It also leads to the identification of various potentials existing across the country, and even those unfamiliar with or lacking complete knowledge of this medicine become acquainted with this medical school. Consequently, oppositions fade away, and the path for the scientific and logical progress of this medicine becomes smoother."

Referring to the motto of this year's festival, the Deputy for Development and Health of the Persian Medicine and Complementary Medicine Office of the Ministry of Health continued: "One of the most logical, scientific, and practical mottos that could have been chosen for the festival is the motto 'Lifestyle Modification,' because lifestyle modification is the main motto of this medical school. The school of Persian Medicine is based on lifestyle modification and health preservation (Hefz al-Seheh). Incidentally, our pride is that the focus on prevention is far more valuable to us than the focus on treatment. We must all insist on this motto so that, at a much lower cost or even no cost, we can prevent the occurrence of many diseases, especially in a situation where we face unjust sanctions and access to many medicines is practically impossible, very difficult, or costly."

Tansaz stated: "Persian Medicine believes that if prevention takes place, much lower costs are imposed on the entire society and people. Hakim Seyed Esmail Jorjani says in his book Zakhireh Kharazmshahi: 'Medicine is a profession that preserves the health of humans and, when lost, restores it.' In the past, physicians used to receive fees for preventing people from getting sick, not merely for charging them for treating patients."

At the end, she added: "Today, all medical schools have reached the belief that prevention is better than cure. If we can promote this culture so that lifestyle modification is not only the motto of the festival but also the motto of all people and physicians across the country, and conventional medicine physicians also consider prevention as prior to treatment, we will witness an improvement in the health level and quality of life of the people."

According to IRNA, the Second Persian Medicine Festival will be held on November 10, corresponding to World Science Day for Peace and Development. The registration and submission deadline started on July 11 and will continue until September 22, 2021. Interested participants can refer to the Persian Medicine Festival website at http://pmfestival.ir to study the call for papers and register.

The International Affairs Advisor of the Persian Medicine and Complementary Medicine Office of the Ministry of Health announced the inclusion of the term "Persian Medicine" in the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) as a significant international achievement in the global establishment of this medicine.

According to the news base of Physicians and Law (Palna), Arman Zargaran, announcing this news, stated: "The Persian Medicine and Complementary Medicine Office of the Ministry of Health began its efforts two years ago to add Persian Medicine to the Medical Subject Headings. It guided and conducted the necessary correspondence by researchers in this field and initiated and followed up on sending the required documentation. Ultimately, this process led to the inclusion of the term Persian Medicine in this tree structure of medical knowledge in 2022."

He also considered this achievement an important step towards establishing Persian Medicine as a branch of medical knowledge internationally. He noted that in terms of identity, against opponents of this name in other countries, it is a major step in the internationalization of Persian Medicine and the coding of articles in this field with the keyword Persian Medicine, holding special significance.

The International Affairs Advisor of the Persian Medicine and Complementary Medicine Office of the Ministry of Health pointed to the successful and forward-moving process of international actions concerning Persian Medicine and described the international atmosphere for Persian Medicine as enjoying very favorable reception.

In conclusion, Zargaran referred to extensive collaborations with the World Health Organization and the interest of many countries in educational and research cooperation in this field. He stated: "A national resolve and determination are necessary to maximize the utilization of Persian Medicine's capacities in line with the country's scientific authority and to provide better medical and pharmaceutical services based on this indigenous and national knowledge. In the atmosphere of the new government, the path to removing obstacles to the use of Persian Medicine has become much smoother than in the past."

According to Vebda (Ministry of Health news agency), the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), as the reference for the tree-based and alphabetical classification of medical knowledge, have global validity, and all branches of medical knowledge are placed within it in a tree diagram. This important tool is used to create a common language in the indexing of articles and scientific documents.

The English-language journal of the School of Persian Medicine at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Traditional and Integrative Medicine) has been indexed in the international Scopus database as the first journal in the field of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine in the country.

According to the Public Relations report of the School of Persian Medicine at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, the English-language journal of the School of Persian Medicine (Traditional and Integrative Medicine), edited by Dr. Roja Rahimi, Deputy for Research of the School of Persian Medicine, is the first English-language journal in the fields of Traditional, Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine in the country to successfully obtain international Scopus indexing. In the coming months, the articles of this journal will be included in this database and will be viewable and searchable. This quarterly journal has been published regularly in 16 issues since 2016 and has published nearly 150 articles with an average review time of 20 days. These articles have been viewed and downloaded over 32,000 times on the journal's website to date. The journal is publicly accessible at https://jtim.tums.ac.ir.

Dr. Payam Kabiri, Director of the Central Library and Documentation Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, while announcing this news, congratulated those involved with the journal on this achievement. The text of his message is as follows:

"Dear Dr. Rahimi
Respected Editor-in-Chief of the Traditional and Integrative Medicine Journal

With greetings and respect,
It is with pride that I inform you, based on the attached received email and following the previous action of this center and the valuable efforts and follow-ups of Your Excellency and other colleagues, the journal Traditional and Integrative Medicine has been accepted for indexing in the Scopus database. Thus, in the coming months, the articles of this journal will be included in this database and will be viewable and searchable. Undoubtedly, this achievement is the result of the valuable efforts of Your Excellency, the reviewers, the members of the editorial board, and the quality of the articles by the authors of that esteemed journal. While congratulating you on this success, I request that you kindly issue instructions to inform the relevant colleagues of that journal as well."

As can be seen in the image, the trend of publishing articles during the years 2008 (the year 1387, coinciding with the establishment of Persian Medicine schools) to 2016 has been completely upward.

Pattern of the number of published articles (published in schools/groups/research centers of Persian Medicine, Traditional and Complementary Medicine, Traditional Pharmacy, and History of Medicine) by year, according to the report received from the Scopus citation database.


 

As can be seen in the image, the trend of publishing articles during the years 2008 (the year 1387, coinciding with the establishment of Persian Medicine schools) to 2019 has been completely upward. With this trend, it is expected that the upward trajectory will continue in 2020 as well, indicating dynamism and a continuous increase in research capacity over these years.

Prepared by: Dr. Arman Zargaran, Dr. Roja Rahimi

The book "The Theory of Hot and Cold" was published today by Springer Publishing. Two chapters of this book have been written by colleagues from the Tehran School of Traditional Medicine. The chapter "Hot and Cold and Its Evidence in Pharmacology" was written by Dr. Rahimi and Dr. Bahram Soltani, and the chapter "Hot and Cold and Its Evidence in Physiology" was written by Dr. Parva Namiranian, Dr. Ayeh Naghizadeh, Dr. Mohammad Sadegh Adel Mehraban, and Dr. Mehrdad Karimi. It is worth noting that previously, colleagues from Tehran University of Medical Sciences have also contributed to writing chapters for 9 books published by reputable international publishers.