Paris (VNA) -Progenitor of Vietnamese traditional medicine Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trachas been honoured as an eminent personality by the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The UNESCO GeneralConference on November 21 passed a resolution on the list of eminentpersonalities and historical events commemorated in 2023 - 2024 at its 42nd session inParis, France.

The year 2024 will markthe 300th birth anniversary of the Vietnamese talented medic. To honour hiscontributions and merits to Vietnam’s medicine, culture, and folklore, Vietnamprepared a dossier and submitted it to UNESCO for recognition, which was highlyevaluated by international experts.

Deputy Minister of ForeignAffairs Ha Kim Ngoc, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam National Commissionfor UNESCO and head of the Vietnamese delegation to the 42nd session of theUNESCO General Conference, said that the UNESCO's recognition of Hai Thuong LanOng Le Huu Trac is the acknowledgement and appreciation of the internationalcommunity for the famous physician's contributions to society and thecommunity, especially the humanistic ideology of "living foreveryone" and the spirit of "life-time learning” which are the valuesthat the organisation is promoting.

The resolution was passedby all UNESCO members, showing the clearest affirmation of the greatcontributions of Vietnamese people in the fields of education, health, culture,and society, and demonstrating their spread of talent and intelligence in theinternational arena, he said.

Deputy Minister of HealthDo Xuan Tuyen, who was also present at the event, emphasised that famousphysician Le Huu Trac was a historical figure who left a treasure of greatvalues in the fields of medicine, culture, and education.

Ambassador Le Thi HongVan, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, said that Vietnam'snomination dossier was carefully prepared and highly appreciated byinternational experts, met the standards and criteria set by UNESCO, especiallyfollowing the organisation's ideals and missions in the fields of education,science, culture, and information - communications, contributing to promotingpeace, cultural dialogue, and mutual understanding among nations.

Le HuuTrac (1724 - 1791), alias Hai Thuong Lan Ong, hailed from the northern province of Hung Yen. 

He wasnot only a great physician and pharmacist but also an excellent poet andwriter, and a thinker with progressive thought and profound humanitarian spirit.After passing away, he was honoured as the “Saint of medicine of Vietnam”. 
           
He left a large number of works, which reflect his deep knowledge, progressive thought, and puremorality, and set a bright example of medicalethics, principles, and practices for following generations. For those reasons, he was consideredthe progenitor of Vietnam'straditional medicine. 

As the year 2024 will mark the 300th birth anniversary of Le Huu Trac, UNESCO’s decision to commemorate the greatphysician is a recognition of his dedications to the medicine, literature, and cultureof Vietnam and the world.

At thesession, aside from the dossier on the Vietnamese figure, UNESCO also approved52 others.

So far, UNESCO hasapproved resolutions honouring and commemorating the birth/death anniversariesof several Vietnamese figures, namely the 600th birth anniversary ofNguyen Trai (approved in 1980), the 100th birth anniversary ofPresident Ho Chi Minh (1990), the 250th birth anniversary of NguyenDu (2015), the 650th death anniversary of Chu Van An (2019), the 200th birth anniversary of Nguyen Dinh Chieu (2021), the 250th birth and200th death anniversaries of Ho Xuan Huong (2021), and the 300th birth anniversary of Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac (2023)./.