• 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.

Article Summaries:

  • The World Health Organization has launched its Second Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, co‑hosted with India, drawing ministers, scientists, Indigenous leaders and practitioners from over 100 countries. The event aims to unveil new scientific initiatives and commitments under the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025‑2034, which prioritises stronger evidence, regulation, system integration, collaboration and community engagement. WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the need to combine millennia‑old wisdom with modern science, including AI and genomics, to expand safe, affordable care. Chief Scientist Sylvie Briand stressed rigorous science, quality standards and robust regulation. The summit also addresses Indigenous rights, fair trade and the fact that less than 1 % of global health research funding reaches traditional medicine.

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