Medical experts said it's of great significance to introduce
traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) into the prevention and
treatment of human bird flu, especially in the early stage of the
disease.
The experts from Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Japan and the
Republic of Korea, who attended a seminar held by China's Ministry
of Health, the World Health Organization and China Association of
Chinese Medicine, have agreed that China should develop its own
method of preventing and treating human infections of the avian
influenza through combining modern medicine with the TCM
theory.
Experts said that the TCM has been playing an important role in
controlling of other infectious diseases, including AIDS and
malaria. Therefore, it shares equal responsibility with the modern
medicine in human bird flu prevention and treatment.
The cases of human infection with bird flu in China numbered 13
in 2006, which was seven in 2005.
China currently has about 3,000 traditional medical hospitals
that dispense medical treatment to nearly 234 million people each
year.
(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2007)