The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched its Second Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in collaboration with the Government of India, bringing together ministers, scientists, Indigenous leaders, and practitioners from over 100 countries. The Summit aims to advance the implementation of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, focusing on stronger evidence, better regulation, health systems integration, collaboration, and community engagement.
Traditional medicine (TM), encompassing both codified and non-codified systems predating biomedicine, remains a primary or preferred health care option for many, offering local accessibility, affordability, and culturally aligned solutions. Nearly 90% of WHO Member States report that 40–90% of their populations use TM, reflecting its widespread role in global health.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of combining traditional knowledge with modern science and technology, from AI to genomics, to unlock TM’s potential for safer, more sustainable health solutions. Integrating TM into health systems is crucial to expanding access to affordable, people-centered care and advancing universal health coverage, particularly as billions still face barriers to essential services.
Evidence suggests that TM integration can improve health outcomes, reduce costs, and support preventive care, including more judicious use of antibiotics. Achieving effective integration requires rigorous scientific assessment, global standards for quality and safety, strong regulatory frameworks, and collaboration using frontier technologies such as AI, systems biology, and advanced data analytics, while respecting biodiversity, cultural specificity, and ethical principles.
TM also underpins rapidly growing global industries, including herbal medicines, and plays a vital role in new drug discovery, given that many formulations originate from natural resources. Indigenous Peoples, who safeguard around 40% of the world’s biodiversity, are central to these efforts. Advancing TM requires addressing Indigenous rights, fair trade, and benefit-sharing considerations.
Despite its widespread use, less than 1% of global health research funding is dedicated to TM. To address this gap, WHO is launching the Traditional Medicine Global Library, providing over 1.6 million scientific records covering research, policies, regulations, and diverse TM applications. The Library ensures equitable online access for institutions in lower-income countries and supports documentation, intellectual property protection, and scientific capacity-building to drive innovation.
WHO officials highlighted that advancing TM is an evidence-based, ethical, and environmental imperative, fostering collaboration and enabling TM to contribute at scale to global health and planetary well-being. During the Summit (17–19 December 2025, New Delhi), new commitments from governments and stakeholders are expected, alongside the formation of a global consortium to address systemic gaps and accelerate implementation of the Global TM Strategy.
