Over 70 herbs to be commonly used in ASEAN

BANGKOK, March 15 (TNA) - Thailand and other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have now agreed to commonly use 72 herbs as an alternative medicine. M.D. Anchalee Chutaputti, Deputy Director-General of Thailand's Department for Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM), who is in charge with international affairs, told journalists that the agreement was a resolution of a recent meeting of ASEAN authorities concerned. M.D. Anchalee said that the 72 herbs, which are regionally available, include Turmeric, Andrographis, Aloe Vera and Barleria, noting that the herbs can be used for treatment of 24 types of illness, namely fever, sore throat, stomach ache, gassy stomach and skin burn. According to the senior Thai official, guidelines for the proper utilization of the regional herbs and their standard treatments adopted by the 10-member ASEAN bloc will then be published by agencies concerned in Thailand and other ASEAN members in both Thai and other languages used in the region to be handed out to hospitals in all member countries. (TNA)