Margaret Chan, Advisory Committee Member of Boao Forum for Asia, former Director-General of the World Health Organization, and President of Global Health Forum of Boao Forum for Asia, recently participated in the Second China (Gansu) Chinese medicine Industry Expo in Gansu, and stressed that the Chinese medicine quality development must adhere to the path of heritage and innovation. Heritage is the foundation of Chinese medicine, without heritage Chinese medicine has no connotation, and at the same time, we should also take the road of modernization and standardization, improve quality standards and overall research, promote the high-quality development of the Chinese medicine industry, and polish the "national business card" of Chinese medicine.

Photo by Su Ping, China News Network

The World Health Organization has been committed to promoting universal health coverage, but there is still a long way to go to achieve this goal worldwide, said Margaret Chan. China is committed to establishing a high-quality and efficient healthcare service system, continuously improving the affordability of healthcare services, and deepening its healthcare reform. The population enjoying healthcare coverage increased from less than one-third 15 years ago to more than 95 percent, which has better prevented people from becoming poor and returning to poverty due to illness, and has provided the world with experience to learn from. In this regard, Chinese medicine plays a unique role.

"Chinese medicine has precise clinical efficacy, unique preventive and health-care effects, flexible treatment and relatively low cost, which is very much in line with the basic requirements and development trend of basic medical and health services." Chan said.

According to her, in addition, the development of Chinese medicine should adhere to collaborative development, based on its own characteristic advantages, active communication and collaboration to form a strong synergy to maintain and promote health. Adhering to opening up and development, integrating TCM into the general pattern of China's opening up to the world will not only develop itself but also benefit the whole world.

Source: China News Network (revised from the original)

By Xu Xue, Liu Yutao