The World Health Organization (WHO) is hosting a summit on traditional medicine (TM) in New Delhi, India, starting 17 December 2025, with a focus on advocating for increased research funding. The event aims to strengthen the evidence base for TM to better integrate it into formal health systems. Notably, around 40% of today’s pharmaceutical products are derived from natural sources, and several major drugs, including aspirin, have origins in traditional medicine practices.
Traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) is currently used in 170 countries, according to a 2019 WHO report. Despite its widespread use, less than 1% of global health research funding is dedicated to traditional medicine. Dr. Shyama Kuruvilla, Director a.i. of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar, India, highlighted that the summit will explore opportunities for stronger investment, implementation, and impact in the field.
Organized in collaboration with the Indian government, the summit will gather policymakers, scientists, practitioners, and indigenous leaders from over 100 countries. Participants will discuss strategies to integrate safe and evidence-based traditional medicine into health systems, in line with WHO’s Global TM Strategy for 2025–2034. The discussions are expected to guide future investments, research priorities, and practical implementation to enhance the role of traditional medicine globally.
