A review on the past, present and future of Traditional Medicine of Uzbekistan

Youngil Song; Jamshid Abdullaevich Mirrakhimov; Kholmurod Nayimovich Kayumov; Jichung Song; Han Chae; Song, Youngil; Mirrakhimov, Jamshid Abdullaevich; Kayumov, Kholmurod Nayimovich; Song, Jichung; Chae, Han

doi:10.13048/jkm.25015

JKM > Volume 46(2); 2025 > Article

Song, Mirrakhimov, Kayumov, Song, and Chae: A review on the past, present and future of Traditional Medicine of Uzbekistan

Original Article

The Journal of Korean Medicine 2025; 46(2): 20-39.

Published online: June 1, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13048/jkm.25015

A review on the past, present and future of Traditional Medicine of Uzbekistan

Youngil Song¹^{, 2}^{, 3}^{, 4}

, Jamshid Abdullaevich Mirrakhimov²

, Kholmurod Nayimovich Kayumov³

, Jichung Song³^{, 4}^{, 5}

, Han Chae⁶^{, 7}^{, *}

¹Korea International Cooperation Agency

²Republican Scientific and Practical Center of Folk Medicine, Uzbekistan

³Bukhara State Medical Institute named after Abu Ali ibn Sino, Uzbekistan

⁴Dept. of Medical History, College of Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University

⁵Dept. of Traditional Medicine, College of Medicine, Mongolian National University

⁶School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University

⁷International Center for Korean Medicine

Correspondence to: Han Chae, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, 49, Busandaehak-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, 50610, South Korea, Tel:+82-51-510-8470, E-mail:han@chaelab.org

Received March 11, 2025 Revised April 13, 2025 Accepted May 22, 2025

Abstract

Objectives

Uzbekistan possesses a distinctive and longstanding medical tradition rooted in Islamic medicine, which declined under Soviet rule. Recent initiatives aim to reconstruct traditional medicine and foster international cooperation, particularly with Korean traditional medicine. However, comprehensive understanding of the historical and current status of traditional medicine in Central Asia remains limited.

Methods

This study reviews the medical history of Uzbekistan across three periods: the Silk Road era, the Russian and Soviet period, and the post-independence era. For each period, the socio-cultural context, healthcare infrastructure, and status of traditional medicine are examined. Recent legal and institutional developments supporting traditional medicine in the post-independence period are also analyzed.

Results

Uzbekistan traditional medicine evolved under diverse influences, including Islamic, Persian, Greco-Roman, Indian, and East Asian systems, but was largely dismantled during the Soviet era. Since independence, four laws were enacted in 2018, 2020, and 2023 to promote traditional medicine. These efforts have led to the establishment of regulatory frameworks, research institutions, and educational centers dedicated to traditional medicine.

Conclusion

Uzbekistan is actively pursuing the restoration of traditional medicine to strengthen public health and develop the pharmacological sector. Capacity building through expert training is essential for advancing traditional medical systems across Central Asia, and Korean traditional medicine may serve as a valuable model in this effort.

Keywords: Uzbekistan Traditional Medicine, Official Development Assistance, Review, Central Asia, Laws and Institutions, Xalq Tabobati

Supplementary materials

jkm-46-2-20-Supplementary-1.pdf

jkm-46-2-20-Supplementary-2.pdf

jkm-46-2-20-Supplementary-3.pdf

jkm-46-2-20-Supplementary-4.pdf

Fig. 1

Map of current Uzbekistan (1991~). The regions with established departments of traditional medicine include Andijan(1), Fergana (1), Tashkent (3), Samarkand (1), Termez(1), Bukhara (1), Urgench(1), and Nukus(1).

Fig. 2

Historical Development of Uzbekistan Traditional Medicine

Fig. 3

Organizational Structure of the Central Administration of the Uzbekistan Republic Ministry of Health and the governance of Republic Scientific and Practical Center of Traiditonal Medicine.

Fig. 4

Organizational structure of the Uzbekistan Republican Scientific and Practical Center of Traditional Medicine

Table 1

Important Laws Related to Traditional Medicine in Uzbekistan.

Type and Date of Bill	Title	Summary of the Objectives and Content of the Bill
Presidential Decree (2018.10.12.) No. PQ-3968	On measures to regulate the field of traditional medicine in the republic of uzbekistan.	Systematization and standardization of traditional medicine. Activation of traditional medicine education and research. Integration within the healthcare system Contribution to economic growth. Establishment of cultural identity.
Ministry of Health Decree (2018.12.29) No. 3111	On the approval of the regulation on the procedure and scope of medical activity using traditional medicine methods.	Establishing legal foundations for traditional medicine. Complementarity between traditional and modern medicine. Strengthening education and workforce training in traditional medicine. Efforts to ensure safety. Contribution to public health promotion.
Presidential Decree (2020.4.10.) No. PQ-4668	On additional measures to develop traditional medicine in the republic of uzbekistan.	Systematic development of traditional medicine. Integration with modern medicine. Strengthening international cooperation Workforce training. Promotion of public health. Establishment of republican scientific practical center of traditional medicine and assigning its mission.
Ministry of Health Decree (2023.4.7) No. 3426	About the approval of the regulation on the procedure for the admission of trainees to the centers for the development of traditional medicine and the certification of graduates.	Establishment of a systematic education system. Development of education accreditation standards. Compliance with international standards Training of professional personnel.

Appendices

APPENDIX 1 to the regulation on the procedure for the admission of trainees to the centers for the development of traditional medicine and the certification of graduates

jkm-46-2-20-Appendix-1.pdf

APPENDIX 2 to the regulation on the procedure for the admission of trainees to the centers for the development of traditional medicine and the certification of graduates
APPENDIX 3 To the regulation on the procedure for the admission of trainees to the centers for the development of traditional medicine and the certification of graduates

jkm-46-2-20-Appendix-2,3.pdf

참고문헌

1. Esonovna, M. G. (2017). The role of traditional medicine in the life of the peoples of central asia. Anglisticum Journal (AJ), 6(2), 35-39.

2. Kun.uz. (2018). Traditional medicine recognized as an additional method of providing medical care in uzbekistan,

3. SONG, Y. I. (2023). Empowering uzbek traditional medicine practitioners for global advancement. Electronic scientific journal Biology and Integrative Medicine, 4(63), 230-244. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/empowering-uzbek-traditional-medicine-practitioners-for-global-advancement

4. Vostoka, T.e.o.t.n.Y.O.z.a.P. (2024). Uzbekistan and south korea strengthen cooperation in the field of traditional medicine https://yuz.uz/en/news/uzbekistan-i-yujnaya-koreya-ukreplyayut-sotrudnichestvo-v-oblasti-narodnoy-meditsin

5. He, Z. (2023). Traditional medicine of the uyghur people Seoul National University. https://hdl.handle.net/10371/213508

6. Park, J. H. (2009). Comparative research into the process of forming the theory of constitution in ancient western medicine and that of four trigrams constitution in korean medicine and contents of two theories of constitution. Uisahak, 18(1), 15-41. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19636189/

7. Choi, H. J., & Shin, G. C. (2015). Islamic medicine based on ibn sina’s medical philosophy. J. Int. Korean Med, 36(3), 252-264. https://www.jikm.or.kr/m/journal/view.php?number=1801

8. Development, N. I. o. t. K. M. & Institute, K. H. I. D. (2022). Research on cooperative projects for the development of traditional medicine industry between korea and central asia. National Institute of the Korean Medicine Development.

9. Chae H., Kim H. Y., Yang G. Y.(2024). A study on the development strategies for the traditional medicine industry in central asia utilizing the experience of the korean traditional medicine industry. Korea Foundation.

10. Gafforov, Y., Raseta, M., Zafar, M., Makhkamov, T., Yarasheva, M., & Chen, J. J., et al (2023). Exploring biodiversity and ethnobotanical significance of solanum species in uzbekistan: Unveiling the cultural wealth andethnopharmacological uses. Front Pharmacol, 14(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1287793

11. Sezik, E., Yesilada, E., Shadidoyatov, H., Kulivey, Z., Nigmatullaev, A. M., & Aripov, H. N., et al (2004). Folk medicine in uzbekistan. I. Toshkent, djizzax, and samarqand provinces. J Ethnopharmacol, 92(2–3), 197-207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2004.02.016

12. Saffari, M., & Pakpour, A. H. (2012). Avicenna’s canon of medicine a look at health, public health, and environmental sanitation. Arch Iran Med, 15(12), 785-789. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23199255/

13. Hwang, Y., Lee, S., Kim, H., Nam, H., Lee, S., & Baik, Y., et al (2024). Current status and sustainable development strategies of traditional korean medicine official development assistance (oda) in global health. Journal of Korean Medicine, 45(1), 255-268. https://doi.org/10.13048/jkm.24019

14. Lim, H. B. (2014). The formation of five central asian countries and their historical differentiation. The journal of asian studies, 17(2), 153-178. https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART001894615

15. Norbaev, T., & Jumaniyazova, O. (2024). Geopolitics of the new uzbekistan: Past and future. Social, philosophical, economic and political issues of the development of new Uzbekistan as a legal, secular and social state, 4(21), 229-235. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11642732

16. Khasanov, R. (2024). Development of social life, science and culture during the central asian khanates. Diversity Research: Journal of Analysis and Trends, 2(6), 55-58. https://academiaone.org/index.php/2/article/view/867

17. Chang H. K.(2023). Mapping civilizations across eurasia. Hong Kong, China. Foreign Language Teaching and Research Publishing Co., Ltd;https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7641-6

18. Hajar, R. (2013). The air of history part iii: The golden age in arab islamic medicine an introduction. Heart Views, 14(1), 43-46. https://doi.org/10.4103/1995-705X.107125

19. Akhmedov, A., Akhmedova, M. A., Maslova, E. V., & Akhmedov, F. A. (2017). Generalization of healthcare experience in different regions of bukhara emirate and its impact on the health of the population in that period. Bulletin of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Tajikistan, 2(87–93), https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/obobschenie-opyta-zdravoohraneniya-v-razlichnyh-administrativnyh-regionah-buharskogo-emirata-i-ego-vliyanie-na-sostoyanie-zdorovya/viewer

20. Saad, B. (2014). Greco-arab and islamic herbal medicine: A review. European Journal of Medicinal Plants, 4(3), 249-258. https://doi.org/10.9734/ejmp/2014/6530

21. Zunic, L., Karcic, E., & Masic, I. (2014). Medical ethics in the medieval islamic sciences. J Res Pharm Pract, 3(3), 75-76. https://doi.org/10.4103/2279-042X.141072

22. Shadmanova, S. B. (2017). Medicine and the population of turkestan: Traditions and innovations (late 19th – early 20th centuries). Historical ethnology, 2(1), 119-139. https://historicalethnology.org/news/en-2017-t2-n1-7/

23. Khaki, G. N., & Sheikh, R. A. (2016). Uzbekistan: Karimov’s model of economy; dynamic or paradox a critical study. Studies in Asian Social Science, 3(1), https://doi.org/10.5430/sass.v3n1p54

24. Abuyev, H. O. (2019). Social situation of uzbekistan in the second half of the 80s of the xx century. sciosphere(СОЦИОСФЕРА), 2(1), 11-14. https://oaji.net/articles/2019/1834-1560933007.pdf

25. Sheiman, I., Shishkin, S., & Shevsky, V. (2018). The evolving semashko model of primary health care: The case of the russian federation. Risk Manag Healthc Policy, 11(209–220), https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S168399

26. Darakhshan, A., & Rehana, H. (2024). Traditional health care system of central asia an appraisal. Journal of Social Review and Development, 3(2), 36-39. https://www.dzarc.com/social/article/download/595/520/866

27. Serikpa, G. H. (2022). Development of healthcare in central asia in the 20–50th years of the xx century. Bulletin Social-Economic and Humanitarian Research, (13), 87-95. 10.52270/26585561_2022_13_15_87

28. McKee, M., Chenet, L. (2002). Patterns of health Buckingham: Open University Press. https://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/id/eprint/15269

29. Jumanazarov, ks. (2022). Uzbek folk medicine and the activities of healers. International journal of philosophical studies and social sciences, 2(1), 27-31. http://ijpsss.iscience.uz/index.php/ijpsss

30. Hohmann, S. (2010). National identity and invented tradition: The rehabilitation of traditional medicine in post-soviet uzbekistan. The China and Eurasia Forum Quarterly, 8(3), 129-148.

31. Kim, H. K., & Kwak, Y. K. (2022). Current situation and future challenges in uzbekistan’s social security. International Social Security Review, 20(1), 84-95. https://doi.org/10.23063/2022.03.7

32. Han, S. Y., Kim, H. Y., Lim, J. H., Cheon, J., Kwon, Y. K., & Kim, H., et al (2016). The past, present, and future of traditional medicine education in korea. Integr Med Res, 5(2), 73-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imr.2016.03.003

33. Tradingeconomics.com. (2024). Uzbekistan gdp. Tradingeconomics.com https://tradingeconomics.com/uzbekistan/gdp

34. Woo, J. M. (2011). Searching for stateness in ukraine. East and West Studies, 23(1), 257-289. https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART001558535

35. Shin, B. S. (2018). Islam and nation-state building in post-soviet uzbekistan. World Regional Studies Journal, 36(2), 163-190. https://kiss.kstudy.com/Detail/Ar?key=3614220

36. Yoo, S. M. (2009). The change of the status of uzbek language and problems of minor language groups in uzbekistan. Russian Studies, 19(1), 93-118. https://hdl.handle.net/10371/88268

37. Akbarov, U. S., Pozharitskaya, O. N., Laakso, I., Seppanen-Laakso, T., Urakova, I. N., & Vuorela, H., et al (2020). Metabolite profiling and mechanisms of bioactivity of snake autolysate - a traditional uzbek medicine. J Ethnopharmacol, 250(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2019.112459

38. Institute, K. H. I. D. (2022). 2022 national health industry status report (russia, cis) Korea Health Industry Development Institute. https://www.medicalkorea.or.kr/humanframe/global/html/preview/doc.html?fn=1211222120139-78e9c83c61c446fcbebfdd3b47b53b6c.pdf&rs=/humanframe/global/html/preview/result/20221211

39. Ahmedov, M., Azimov, R., Mutalova, Z., Huseynov, S., Tsoyi, E., & Rechel, B. (2014). Uzbekistan: Health system review. Health Systems in Transition, 16(5), 1-137. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/151960/HiT-16-5-2014-eng.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed=y

40. Organization, W. H. The national health workforce accounts database. Name of web site (Published date) Accessed date Available from: (https://apps.who.int/nhwaportal https://www.who.int/activities/improving-health-workforce-data-and-evidence

41. OECD. (2021). Health at a glance 2021: Oecd indicators https://doi.org/10.1787/ae3016b9-en

42. UZBEKISTAN, T. P. O. T. R. O. (2018). On measures to regulate the field of folk medicine in the republic of uzbekistan,

43. UZBEKISTAN, T. M. O. H. O. T. R. O. (2018). On the approval of the regulation on the procedure and scope of medical activity using folk medicine methods,

44. UZBEKISTAN, T. P. O. T. R. O. (2020). On additional measures to develop folk medicine in the republic of uzbekistan,

45. UZBEKISTAN, T. M. O. H. O. T. R. O. (2023). About the approval of the regulation on the procedure for the admission of trainees to the centers for the development of folk medicine and the certification of graduate,

46. Kadipov A. A.(1994). History of medicine in uzbekistan. Tashkent. Publishing and Printing Association named after Ibn Sina.

47. Arzumetov, I. (1980). Avicenna—physician-encyclopedist and certain principles of his teachings concerning health and disease (on the 1000th anniversary of his birth). Fiziol Zh SSSR Im I M Sechenova, 66(9), 1273-1277. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6448170/

48. Edriss, H., Rosales, B. N., Nugent, C., Conrad, C., & Nugent, K. (2017). Islamic medicine in the middle ages. Am J Med Sci, 354(3), 223-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjms.2017.03.021

49. Committee, C.-c. o. t. K. M. Y. P. (2024). 2022 yearbook of traditional korean medicine Seoul: Co-chairman of the Korean Medicine Yearbook Publication Committee. https://nikom.or.kr/nikom/board/pdfPage.do?manage_idx=53&board_idx=564896&file_name=20240607094405pi5Z.pdf

50. Sachs, J. D. (1995). Notes on the life cycle of state-led industrialization. Japan and the World Economy, 8(153–174), https://doi.org/10.1016/0922-1425(96)00022-9

51. KOÇAK, M. (2018). Official and unofficial islam in soviet union during the cold war. Journal of Turkish History Researches, 3(2), 102-120. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/605356

52. Huang, Y. (2018). A study on the korean medicine education and the changes in the traditional korean medicine during the japanese colonial era: Focused on the korean medicine training schools. Korean Journal of Medical History, 27(1), 1-48. https://doi.org/10.13081/kjmh.2018.27.1

53. Kim, J. T. (2012). The meaning, application, and case study of appropriate technology in the field of international development cooperation: Focusing on demand-oriented and market-oriented improvement measures. Journal of International Development Cooperation, 7(4), 63-85. https://doi.org/10.34225/jidc.2012.4.63

54. Organization, W. H. (1996). Guidelines on basic training and safety in acupuncture https://www.bing.com/search?q=Guidelines+on+basic+training+and+safety+in+acupuncture&cvid=484d9d443ac149b19d13d4dc86e67d99&aqs=edge..69i57.330j0j1&pglt=299&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=U531

55. Yoon, K. J., Kim, D. S. (2013). ‘Medical unification plan’ for shared growth with modern medicine and traditional medicine in korea Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. https://repository.kihasa.re.kr/bitstream/201002/11321/1/%EC%88%98%EC%8B%9C%EB%B3%B4%EA%B3%A0%EC%84%9C%202013-03.pdf