Paying tribute to Avicenna and his contributions

August 24, 2010

On August 24, Tashkent hosted an International Scientific and Practical Conference “Avicenna’s Teachings and Modern Medicine”, organized by the Fund Forum, Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna) International Association of Traditional Medicine, the Women’s Council and the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan. The conference dedicated to the 1030th anniversary of Abu Ali Ibn Sina, whose invaluable scientific legacy, including his fundamental work “The Canon of Medicine” is believed to be of great value across the world, was attended by over 300 people.

The Association of Traditional Medicine of Uzbekistan, established in January 2010, has achieved significant results over the six months of its operation in publishing and scientific activities as well as international cooperation. The Association opened a representative office in Bulgaria, thereby gaining an international status, and has been renamed Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna) International Association of Traditional Medicine.

Among those invited to the event were leading scholars, doctors and traditional medicine practitioners from Uzbekistan, Germany, Bulgaria, Italy and Iran. The speakers at the conference included international experts such as Professor Umberto Solimene, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine and Director of the Centre for Research on Medical Bioclimatology, Biotechnologies, and Natural Medicine of the University of Milan (Italy); Hussein Hotamiy, Head of Traditional Medicine Department at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Iran); Yusuf Shahhusayniy, Chairperson of Ibn Sina Foundation for Science and Culture (Iran); Georgi Yotov, representative of Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna) International Association of Traditional Medicine in Bulgaria; Dr. Ilka Schwidde, Head of SenoExpert, Department for Senology/Breast Cancer, Essen-Mitte Clinic (Germany); Dr. Voiss Petra, Head of Integrated Oncology, Essen-Mitte Clinic (Germany).

The conference served as a platform for local and foreign specialists on traditional medicine to swap experience and broaden international cooperation.

Professor Umberto Solimene, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine and Director of the Centre for Research on Medical Bioclimatology, Biotechnologies, and Natural Medicine of the University of Milan (Italy):

“In my view, medicine is an art rather than a science. Therefore, there may not be differences between modern medicine and traditional medicine. Today an important precondition for a successful development of medicine is integration. People in Europe don’t know much about Avicenna although he, alongside Hippocrates, is believed to the founder of medicine. It is therefore very important to disseminate information about him and to study his works. Uzbek and Iranian scholars have been very successful in this regard. Modern medicine is not without faults. Costly treatment does not always produce desired results. In this sense, traditional medicine, by virtue of affordable drugs it offers, can be of great help.”

Georgi Yotov, representative of Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna) International Association of Traditional Medicine in Bulgaria:

“Today’s conference has been organized in a perfect manner. We are at the beginning of our path. The Association is very young but is very active and determined to move on. We have set ourselves four primary goals: 1. collaborate with Bulgarian colleagues; 2. strengthen and develop ties with other countries, particularly with European nations; 3. advocate a healthy lifestyle among the youth; 4. inform the broad masses in European societies about accomplishments of Uzbek medicine by, for example, organizing similar forums in Bulgaria and other countries. “The Canon of Medicine” will become one of the best published works thanks to collaboration with Uzbek and Iranian colleagues. Bulgaria has always taken good care of traditional medicine. Our plans include organizing a European Conference on Traditional Medicine. We are thankful to the Fund Forum and the International Association of Traditional Medicine for the assistance they have provided in our work and for their efforts to support traditional medicine.”

Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna) International Association of Traditional Medicine

Established in January 2010, the Association’s core activity is linked with eastern medicine. Traditional medicine in Uzbekistan, which is based on the centuries-old experience of tabibs (eastern healers) and scientific legacy of outstanding physicians such as Avicenna, is going through a revival period and working jointly with physicians in Uzbekistan to address major tasks in healthcare. The Association is dedicated to the revival, preservation and promotion of the foundations of eastern medicine and development of international cooperation in this area.

Presently, the Association oversees important activities, runs various projects and works to develop ties with specialized organizations in Uzbekistan and abroad.

• On February 1, 2010, Tashkent hosted an International Conference “Traditional Medicine in a Modern Society. Its Role, Implications, Perspectives”, the first of its kind in Uzbekistan. The conference was attended by specialists on healthcare and traditional medicine from Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, India, China, Latvia, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and brought together around 300 participants;
• the Association has established collaborative ties with Bulgaria, Italy and Iran. Currently it has a representative office in Sofia, Bulgaria;
• it has launched a collaborative project with Bulgaria to translate Avicenna’s book The Canon of Medicine into Bulgarian;
• work is under way to create a compilation of recipes related to traditional medicine used in practice;
• the Academy of Traditional Medicine (founded in 1996) is working to develop theoretical bases of Uzbek traditional medicine. Of note is Sharq tabobati (Eastern medicine) magazine. A series of books containing amazing facts and centuries-old traditional healing recipes are expected to be published soon;
• a unique work titled Zakhirai Khorezmshokhi (The treasure of Khorezmshah) is being translated from Persian into Uzbek;
• Commentary on Avicenna’s Canon of Medicine is expected to be published soon;
• work is under way to compile an Encyclopedia of Traditional Medicine of Uzbekistan.

Yusuf Shahhusayniy, Chairperson of Ibn Sina Foundation for Science and Culture (Iran):

“Abu Ali Ibn Sina left an invaluable legacy in the form of scientific works. He was able to combine medical theory and practice. Many of his medical cannons are a foundation which must be studied, adding modern methods of treatment. I would like to note that everything that is being done to develop traditional medicine in Uzbekistan is vital to modernity and will yield sweeping results in the future. I’m sincerely thankful to the Fund Forum and the International Association for their efforts and I hope we will cooperate in this sphere for many years. I also want to share the news that back in Hamandan we are planning to establish a school which will be named in honour of Abu Ali Ibn Sina.”

Dr. Ilka Schwidde, Head of SenoExpert, Department for Senology/Breast Cancer, Essen-Mitte Clinic (Germany):

“This is my first visit to Uzbekistan. At the previous conference in Tashkent Germany was represented by Professor Gustav Jürgen Dobos. He came away with good impressions and I’m certain that I will also leave with positive emotions and new plans. Here, I and my colleague Petra Voiss will talk about combined treatment of breast cancer with mainstream and traditional medicine. In Europe interest in traditional medication is increasing and it’s good to see the amount of work being done in Uzbekistan to popularize traditional medicine, especially considering the fact that you have resources such as works by Avicenna. We are hopeful that we will continue to collaborate with Avicenna International Association for many years to come.”