Mongolia sets plan to advance traditional medicine

Mongolia has introduced a new decree to strengthen traditional Mongolian medicine and expand its international profile.

Announced by Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, the decision marks the 345th anniversary of the country’s first formal medical school and sets out a national plan to update regulation, improve training systems, and support research.

The address noted that traditional Mongolian medicine has developed over thousands of years and became formally institutionalised in 1681, when Luvsandanzanjantsan established structured medical training and produced instructional manuals. The President highlighted that the field remains an active part of Mongolia’s public health system.

The inscription in 2025 of the manuscript "A Complete Record of the Body by Imperial Order" on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register was cited as a recent milestone. Mongolian traditional medicine doctors are also working in several countries, including Poland.

The decree fits within a broader set of state measures linked to cultural preservation and national heritage, including initiatives involving historical documentation, cultural sites, and national symbols.

Under the new directive, the Government must update the legal framework for traditional medicine, support development through advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, implement an integrated human-resources policy, and ensure quality and safety in traditional medicine production.

President Khurelsukh emphasised the need to train the next generation through a strengthened mentor–apprentice model guided by professional ethics, noting that progress depends on coordinated work among scholars, physicians, and specialists.

He stated that the Presidency will continue to support the study and development of traditional Mongolian medicine and expressed confidence in its long-term growth and international reach.

What is traditional Mongolian medicine

Traditional Mongolian medicine is a medical system shaped over centuries through Mongolia’s nomadic environment, local pharmacology, and a worldview centred on balance between the body and nature.

According to World Intellectual Property Organization, it draws on indigenous knowledge refined through long-standing healing traditions on the Mongolian Plateau.

Its diagnostic approach, described in research published by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, relies on detailed pulse reading, observation, and assessment of environmental factors. Treatments use complex herbal combinations, mineral substances, warm acupuncture, moxibustion, and seasonal lifestyle guidance.

Traditional Mongolian medicine continues to operate within Mongolia’s national healthcare structure, supported by research institutions and formal academic programmes that develop its clinical methods.

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