WHO's Global Summit advances evidence-based integration of traditional medicine

The World Health Organization (WHO)'s Second Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, jointly organized with the Government of India, opens today, bringing together government ministers, scientists, Indigenous leaders, and practitioners from more than 100 countries. The Summit is expected to announce major scientific initiatives and new commitments aimed at advancing the implementation of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, centred on stronger evidence, better regulation, systems integration, collaboration and community engagement. 

Traditional medicine (TM) encompasses codified and non-codified systems that predate biomedicine and have continued to evolve for contemporary use. For many, TM remains the main source of health care-locally accessible, affordable and bio-culturally aligned-and for many more, it is a preferred, personalized and more natural health option. Nearly 90% of WHO Member States (170 out of 194) report that 40–90% of their populations use TM.

"WHO is committed to uniting the wisdom of millennia with the power of modern science and technology to realise the vision of health for all," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "By engaging responsibly, ethically, and equitably, and by harnessing innovation from AI to genomics, we can unlock the potential of traditional medicine to deliver safer, smarter, and more sustainable health solutions for every community and for our planet."

Strengthening evidence, regulation and integration of TM into health systems

In a world facing increasing challenges to health systems, nearly half of the global population – 4.6 billion – lack access to essential health services, while a quarter – over 2 billion people – experience financial hardship to access health care. Integrating TM into health systems is critical to expanding access and choice to affordable, people-centred health care and advancing UHC, ensuring everyone can receive health care they need without financial strain.

Emerging evidence indicates that integrating TM into health systems can deliver cost efficiencies and improve health outcomes. Such integration emphasizes prevention and health promotion, contributing to broader health benefits such as more appropriate use of antibiotics.

Achieving effective integration requires robust science, global standards for quality and safety, and strong regulatory mechanisms. "We need to apply the same scientific rigour to the assessment and validation of biomedicine and traditional medicines, while respecting biodiversity, cultural specificities and ethical principles," said Dr Sylvie Briand, WHO Chief Scientist. "Stronger collaborations and frontier technologies – such as AI, genomics, systems biology, neurosciences and advanced data analytics – can transform how we study and apply traditional medicine."

Advancing innovation, investment and sustainable benefits

TM underpins fast-growing global industries, such as herbal medicines. All TM formulations, and more than half of biomedical pharmaceuticals, originate from natural resources, which remain a vital source for new drug discovery. Indigenous Peoples safeguard around 40% of the world's biodiversity while representing just 6% of the global population. Advancing TM requires addressing Indigenous rights, fair trade, and benefit-sharing considerations.

Despite TM's widespread use and vital role in stewarding natural resources for health and well-being, less than 1% of global health research funding is dedicated to TM. To help close the knowledge and research gaps, WHO is launching the Traditional Medicine Global Library, the first of its kind, featuring more than 1.6 million scientific records spanning research, policies, regulations and thematic collections on diverse TM applications. 

Developed in response to calls by Heads of State during G20 and BRICS meetings in 2023, the Library also provides equitable online access to peer-reviewed content for institutions in lower-income countries through the Research4Life initiative. It also supports countries in documenting TM with intellectual property protections and in building scientific capacity to drive innovation. 

"Advancing traditional medicine is an evidence-based, ethical and environmental imperative," said Dr Shyama Kuruvilla, Director a.i. of WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Centre. "The Global Summit fosters the conditions and collaborations required for TM to contribute at scale to the flourishing of all people and the planet."

The Summit (17–19 December 2025, New Delhi) will also announce new commitments from governments and other stakeholders, alongside a call for a global consortium to address systemic gaps and accelerate implementation of the Global TM Strategy at scale.