The World Health Organization has convened its second Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi, bringing together ministers, scientists, Indigenous leaders and health practitioners from more than 100 countries as it seeks to move traditional medicine further into mainstream health systems.
Dec 18, 2025 – The three day summit, jointly organised with the Government of India, enters its second day today and is expected to announce new scientific initiatives and commitments aimed at implementing the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025 to 2034. The strategy focuses on building stronger evidence, improving regulation, integrating traditional medicine into national health systems, and encouraging collaboration and community engagement.
Traditional medicine includes both codified and non codified systems that existed long before modern biomedicine and have continued to evolve. For millions of people, particularly in low and middle income countries, it remains the most accessible form of health care. WHO estimates that nearly 90 percent of its 194 member states report that between 40 and 90 percent of their populations use some form of traditional medicine.
“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.”
WHO officials say the push comes as global health systems face mounting pressure. Nearly half of the world’s population, about 4.6 billion people, lack access to essential health services, while more than two billion experience financial hardship when seeking care. Integrating traditional medicine into formal health systems, the organisation argues, could help expand access to affordable and people centred care while advancing universal health coverage.
Emerging research suggests that such integration can improve health outcomes and reduce costs, particularly by placing greater emphasis on prevention and health promotion. WHO says this approach may also contribute to more appropriate use of antibiotics, an issue of growing concern as antimicrobial resistance rises worldwide.
However, officials stress that integration must be grounded in strong science and regulation. “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.”
The summit also highlights the economic and environmental dimensions of traditional medicine. WHO notes that all traditional medicine formulations, and more than half of modern pharmaceutical products, originate from natural resources. Indigenous Peoples, who make up just six percent of the global population, safeguard around 40 percent of the world’s biodiversity, raising questions about fair trade, benefit sharing and intellectual property rights.
Despite its widespread use, less than one percent of global health research funding is currently directed towards traditional medicine. In response, WHO announced the launch of the Traditional Medicine Global Library, a new digital platform containing more than 1.6 million scientific records covering research, policies and regulatory frameworks from around the world.
The library was developed following calls from heads of state during G20 and BRICS meetings in 2023 and will provide free access to peer reviewed content for institutions in lower income countries through the Research4Life initiative. WHO says it will also help countries document traditional medicine knowledge while protecting intellectual property and building scientific capacity.
“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.”
India, which is hosting the summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, has positioned itself as a key partner in WHO’s efforts. Speaking at the meeting, Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav said India’s collaboration with WHO reflected a shared commitment to bringing traditional medicine into global health systems.
“India’s collaboration with the World Health Organization reflects a shared commitment to bring traditional medicine into the mainstream of global healthcare through science, standards, and evidence,” Jadhav said.
He pointed to milestones since the partnership began in 2016, including the launch of ICD 11 Module 2 in 2024, which integrates Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani morbidity codes into international health classifications. He also cited ongoing work on the International Classification of Health Interventions and the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar, scheduled for completion in October 2025.
“India continues to expand international cooperation in the field of traditional medicine through education, research, and capacity building,” Jadhav said.
The minister added that India currently offers 104 scholarships annually to foreign nationals, has signed 26 country level agreements, collaborates with more than 50 institutions worldwide and has established Ayush Chairs in 15 universities and Ayush Information Cells in 43 countries.
Collaborative research projects include Ashwagandha trials in the UK, Guduchi studies in Germany and Ayurveda based diabetes research in Latvia. “Leveraging digital platforms such as the Ayush Grid and advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, India is systematically documenting and validating traditional knowledge to address contemporary global health challenges,” Jadhav said.
In a video message, Dr Tedros praised India’s leadership and noted that the World Health Assembly had earlier this year adopted the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025 to 2034. He said the strategy focuses on strengthening the evidence base, ensuring safety and quality through regulation, integrating traditional medicine into primary health care, and recognising its broader value for biodiversity, sustainability and community wellbeing.
The summit, which runs from 17 to 19 December, is expected to conclude with new commitments from governments and partners, as well as a call to establish a global consortium to accelerate the implementation of WHO’s traditional medicine strategy worldwide.
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