Page 14 - Proceedings of The Fifth Meeting of Indigenous Medicine in the Mekong Basin

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Welcome Remarks by
DR. SUPHAN SRITHAMMA
Director-General
Department for Development of Thai Traditional & Alternative Medicine
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The 5 Meeting on Indigenous Medicine in the Mekong Basin
5 September 2012
IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center

Distinguished Delegates from Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and
Thailand
Distinguished guests
Invited observers
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Afternoon,
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It gives me great pleasure and honour to be here at the opening of the 5
Meeting on Indigenous Medicine in the Mekong Basin today.
On behalf of the Department for Development of Thai Traditional and
Alternative Medicine, Ministry of Public Health, I have the honor to welcome all of
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you to the 5 Meeting on Indigenous Medicine in the Mekong Basin. It is a
privilege and an honor for our Department, the School of Medicine, Mahasarakarm
University, Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital to host this significant meeting
during 5-7 September 2012 here in Nonthaburi, Thailand. And I would like to thank
all delegates for coming to participate in this meeting.
I am most delighted to meet top officials and administrators who play a vital
role in the conservation of indigenous medicine in your countries, experienced
researchers in the field of ethnomedicine, and well-respected folk healers from the
neighboring countries of the Mekong Basin. I wish to express my great appreciation
for your cooperation and active participation in sharing information on indigenous
medicine in your countries and sharing experience of your practices during
showcase session in this meeting.
Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen
As mentioned in the report by Dr. Pramote Stienrut, the Director of the
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Institute of Thai Traditional Medicine a moment ago, this 5 Meeting is aimed to
strengthen and step up the collaboration in indigenous medicine to an
international level. This is because it is known that the Mekong Basin is rich with
ethnic and biological diversity. And the indigenous medicines of various ethnic
groups and the tacit knowledge of folk healers on herbal medicines are very valuable
traditional knowledge that urgently needs to be studied in depth and well
documented. International cooperation and collaborative efforts on joint research
projects, the exchange of information and experience on indigenous medicine, and
human resource development will help accelerate field studies, compilation, and
management of information on indigenous medicine in the region. Moreover, the
transformation of tacit knowledge of folk healers to explicit knowledge will open the
door for further research in the future. Only when we know well of what we have, be
the traditional medical knowledge or indigenous medicinal plants, we can then
formulate appropriate measures and effectively implement the plans
 to conserve our traditional medical knowledge and protect our related
genetic resources from misappropriation and exploitation,