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Strong Market for Traditional Health Products

Posted on: Wednesday, 24 August 2005, 03:00 CDT

KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - Locally produced traditional remedies are standing

up well to imported herbal medicine.

Malaysian-produced natural health products make up about 40 per cent of

the RM4.5 billion-a-year traditional medicine business in the country.

Malaysian Herbal Corporation director Dr Rajen M said this today at the

first international Women's Health and Asian Traditional (What) Medicine

Conference and Exhibition at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here.

He said: "Compared with about five to 10 years ago, where most of the

traditional health products in the country came from China or India, this

is an encouraging trend."

Quoting a study by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development

Institute, Dr Rajen, who is also conference chairman, said that less than

half the RM4.5 billion business involved approved products.

It is evident, though, that traditional remedies are not only selling

well, they are also gaining recognition in the medical field.

Almost 350 scientists, doctors and scholars from around the world have

gathered in the three-day conference to discuss the growing importance of

Asian traditional remedies in global healthcare systems.

Speaking to the Press after opening the conference, Women, Family and

Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said

there was a need to impose tighter regulations to prevent a glut of

unapproved natural health products in the market.

"Strict monitoring and enforcement is crucial so that the public is not

adversely affected when using these products. Only those that are safe

must be allowed to be sold," she said.

She added that her Ministry would look into collecting the "secrets" of

traditional remedies and storing them in a database.

The conference was organised by the Malaysia-based Journal of Tropical

Medicinal Plants, Tropical Botanics and the Malaysian Herbal Corporation

and has attracted participants from 21 countries including Singapore,

Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, China, Britain, Australia and the

United States.

A total of 43 exhibitors are showcasing Asian traditional medicine at

the conference.

Source: New Straits Times

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