TUMS Expert Contributes to WHO Global Herbal Pharmacopoeia Development Meeting

Dr Arman Zargaran, Associate Professor of Traditional Pharmacy at the School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), participated in the Fifth Meeting of the WHO Global Herbal Pharmacopoeia Expert Working Group, held in Hong Kong at the invitation of the World Health Organization (WHO) and hosted by the Hong Kong Department of Health.

Dr Zargaran was one of only 12 international experts selected by WHO to contribute to the development of the Global Herbal Pharmacopoeia, an international reference document intended to support the standardisation, quality assurance and safe use of medicinal plants worldwide.

During the intensive three-day meeting, members of the expert working group reviewed and refined 12 core chapters of the pharmacopoeia and completed work on six herbal monographs covering ginger (Zingiber officinale), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), clove (Syzygium aromaticum), liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). Together, these documents comprise nearly 500 pages of technical content.

The Global Herbal Pharmacopoeia is expected to become an important international reference for the quality control, standardisation and regulatory evaluation of herbal medicines, supporting greater consistency in their use across healthcare systems and facilitating international collaboration in herbal medicine research and practice.

Dr Zargaran's participation reflects TUMS' continued contribution to global health initiatives and international scientific collaboration through active engagement in WHO expert groups. The university's involvement in this initiative reinforces its commitment to advancing evidence-based traditional medicine and supporting the development of internationally recognised standards for medicinal plant research and healthcare.