Access to business information and
international market intelligence in the area of traditional and complementary
medicine remains a major obstacle to the development of sustainable trade and
export competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) active in this
sector in Malaysia.
In this context, the Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC) and
the Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysian Herbal Corporation (MHC) have entered into a
partnership to strengthen the business information system, GlobinMed™, of the
Ministry of Health Malaysia, a global information hub in the areas of
traditional and complementary medicine.
With
the significant increase of the role of traditional and complementary medicine
in contributing to the maintenance of human health, the Ministry of Health
Malaysia has developed the portal, GlobinMed™
,
in accordance with the
conclusion of the 12th meeting of the Commonwealth Health
Ministries. The purpose of this portal is “to establish an information hub on
integrated medicine for the World through Malaysia, utilising smart and
strategic partnerships with other nations, international organisations and
non-governmental organizations”.
Taking account of ITC’s expertise in this field, the
Ministry of Health Malaysia requested the Trade Information Services of ITC,
through its Market News Service programme, to provide information support and
advisory services on the development of the portal with specific content on
traditional and complementary medicine.
“This partnership marks our
commitment to develop the
GlobinMed™
business information portal.
Drawing on ITC expertise the initiative will act as a catalyst both now and for
future SME activity in traditional and complementary medicine”, commented
Patricia R. Francis, ITC’s Executive Director.
“We are dedicated to make
GlobinMed™
the main reference portal for traditional and complementary
medicine. This partnership with ITC will
definitely help us to provide comprehensive data from trade and business point
of view which will be one of the main features in
GlobinMed™
”, commented
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Hj Mohd Ismail Merican, Director General of Health
Malaysia, Ministry of Health Malaysia.
This collaboration reinforces the work done by ITC in
the field of business information technical support to SMEs from developing
countries engaged in the trade of traditional and complementary medicine.
Further, as a partner in the UN BioTrade Initiative,
this innovative approach is endorsed by ITC as it promotes trade and investment
in indigenous biological resources in support of sustainable development.
Promoting the commercialization of biodiversity-based products, or ‘biotrade’
is being increasingly recognized as a means of providing incentives for the
sustainable management of biodiversity while simultaneously creating employment
opportunities and livelihoods.
The partnership with ITC, which started in March
2010, calls for ITC to contribute content for the
GlobinMed™
portal and to create
capacity within the MHC to deliver efficient business information services to
SMEs as well as creating awareness of the business opportunities of the region.
Click here to download the PDF version