The World Health Organisation says new scientific tools are creating a major opportunity to rigorously evaluate and safely integrate traditional medicine into modern health systems. Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday from Geneva, WHO experts said traditional medicine has become a global reality, noting that many countries rely on it as a first or preferred form of care.
The briefing came ahead of the second WHO global summit on traditional medicine scheduled for December 17 to 19 in New Delhi, India. The summit will bring together policymakers, researchers, practitioners and indigenous leaders from more than 100 countries to mobilise support for the global traditional medicine strategy 2025 to 2034, adopted at the World Health Assembly in May.
Shyama Kuruvilla, acting director of the Global Traditional Medicine Centre, said the gathering is significant because traditional medicine is often the closest or only form of care available for many people. She said demand continues to grow due to chronic illnesses, mental health needs and rising interest in personalised and holistic treatment.
Kuruvilla said WHO’s focus is to help countries ensure that traditional medicine is safe, evidence informed and fairly integrated into national health systems. She noted that although traditional medicine is widely used worldwide, it receives less than one percent of global health research funding. She said the summit will address this gap by pushing for stronger investment and improved evidence generation.
The WHO will also launch several major initiatives, including a global traditional medicine library with more than 1.6 million scientific records, a global research priority roadmap and a traditional medicine data network based on the organisation’s international classification of diseases.
WHO chief scientist Sylvie Briand said scientific advances are helping overcome long-standing challenges in assessing traditional, complementary and integrative medicine. She said artificial intelligence can now screen millions of compounds to help researchers understand the complex structure of herbal products and identify useful components while reducing harmful effects.
Briand said WHO has developed a global research agenda that guides priority setting and ethical standards. She added that more investment is needed to address chronic disease burdens and improve access to care. She urged countries to embrace innovation while respecting tradition to ensure that all approaches used in healthcare are safe, effective and accessible.
