New Delhi, Dec 19 (UNI) Global leaders have called for evidence-driven investment, robust regulation and resilient health systems for implementing WHO-led global traditional medicine strategy 2025–2034.
Experts from Australia, Morocco, Iran, Uganda, Canada, Switzerland, USA, UK, Colombia, Brazil, New Zealand, Germany, Nepal, South Korea, and Sri Lanka shared insights at plenary and parallel sessions of the summit
Expressing satisfaction at the outcomes of the summit, union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav noted that India has strengthened its global leadership in traditional medicine through bilateral meetings with 16 nations on the second day of WHO global summit in New Delhi
Jadhav met WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to express gratitude for advancing traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine globally.
Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Ayush and for Health & Family Welfare Jadhav met with WHO Director-General Dr Ghebreyesus to express India’s gratitude for WHO’s leadership in advancing Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) globally, on the second day of the WHO global summit.
The summit entered a decisive phase with high-level deliberations on science, research investment, innovation, safety, regulation, and health system integration, reaffirming the role of traditional medicine as a key contributor to an equitable, resilient, and people-centred global health ecosystem.
Guided by the theme “Restoring Balance: The Science and Practice of Health and Well-Being” the sessions closely aligned with the newly adopted WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, translating strategic vision into implementable pathways for countries and communities.
Jadhav held bilateral talks with delegations from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Micronesia, Mauritius, and Fiji, while higher officials from the Ministry of Ayush engaged with the remaining countries. In total, the Ministry of Ayush conducted sixteen bilateral meetings with delegations from Brazil, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Micronesia, Mauritius, Fiji, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Vietnam, Bhutan, Suriname, Thailand, Ghana, and Cuba, aimed at strengthening international cooperation in traditional medicine.
On the sidelines, the Institute-level Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Cuba, involving the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), is also extended to advance collaboration in curriculum development, public health integration, panchakarma training, and regulatory coherence in ayurveda.
On the second day of the summit, plenary sessions are held where experts shared their insights and experiences, contributing to in-depth discussions on the advancement of traditional medicine globally.
Session ‘Investing in Science to Drive Traditional Medicine Progress’ opened with the central theme, “Investing in Science to Drive Traditional Medicine Progress”, emphasizing the role of scientific research in advancing traditional medicine globally. The session highlighted the importance of sustained investment, innovation, methodological harmonization, and international collaboration to establish traditional medicine as an evidence-based health domain.
Discussions focused on mobilizing resources, integrating research into national and global health priorities, and accelerating the ‘Global Traditional Medicine Research Agenda’, positioning traditional medicine as a key contributor to sustainable development and universal health coverage.
Session ‘Translating the WHO Traditional Medicine Research Roadmap into Global Action’ focused on operationalising the WHO traditional medicine research roadmap, addressing research complexity, codification of knowledge systems and global capacity building. Through diverse regional experiences, discussions highlighted how traditional medicine research can align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), support people-centred care and contribute to health system integration and economic evaluation.
During the session themed ‘Research Methodologies and Applications’ examined methodologically appropriate and innovative research approaches aligned with traditional medicine epistemologies. It covered whole-systems and multimodal clinical trials, transdisciplinary preclinical designs, social science and implementation research, and indigenous decolonial methodologies, while addressing ethical considerations, misinformation and evidence translation into policy and practice.
In ‘The Science of Well-Being – Evidence from Traditional Medicine’ session delegates explored scientific evidence on Traditional Medicine’s contributions to mental health, pain management, cancer care, self-care, antibiotic resistance and healthy longevity. It examined mechanisms linking Traditional Medicine practices with biomedical research frontiers and identified pathways for scaling safe, equitable access across populations.
‘From Innovation to Investment – Building the Traditional Medicine Pipeline for Scale and Equity’ session focused on how traditional medicine innovations can move from local practices to globally scalable solutions. The session examined governance frameworks, validation criteria and investment pathways required to ensure equity, safety and sustainability while improving health and economic outcomes.
‘Impact of Meditation on Health – Restoring Balance from Individual to Social and Ecological Well-Being’ discussions synthesized emerging neuroscientific, clinical and public health evidence on meditation, highlighting its impact on mental, physical and social well-being. Participants explored opportunities for integrating meditation into health systems, education, workplaces and community programmes, identifying policy pathways, research gaps and collaboration opportunities.
Plenary session with theme ‘Re-Imagining Health Systems for Balance, Safety and Resilience’ emphasized “Re-Imagining Health Systems for Balance, Safety and Resilience”, focusing on integrating Traditional Medicine safely and effectively into health systems. The session introduced the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034.
The session highlighted regional experiences, particularly from South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, showcasing supportive policies, governance frameworks, and primary health care integration. Key points included patient safety, quality assurance, regulatory coherence, and international collaboration through networks like IRCH to strengthen global harmonization.
‘Global Frameworks and Country Implementation’ session examined a new WHO conceptual framework outlining four models of integration – people-led, practitioner-led, coordinated and blended. Through country experiences, participants explored how different approaches can strengthen service delivery, governance, financing and workforce development while advancing universal health coverage.
During ‘Quality, Efficiency and Patient Safety’ session the speakers highlighted the role of education, training, ethical standards, accreditation of facilities and safety systems in ensuring effective and people-centred integration of traditional medicine into national health systems.
Parallel session with theme ‘Regulation of Traditional Medicine Products’ advanced global dialogue on regulatory frameworks for traditional medicine products, addressing quality, safety, efficacy and equitable access. Discussions covered market authorization, post-market surveillance, cross-border trade, digital health applications and protection of traditional knowledge, aligned with the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034.
Another parallel session with theme ‘Practice, Practitioners and the Relevance of Traditional Medicine in Health System Resilience’ focused on regulating practitioners, minimum education standards, ethical conduct and continuous professional development, alongside the development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Participants examined how Traditional Medicine can enhance health system resilience, ensuring continuity of care in routine settings and strengthening preparedness during public health emergencies.
Advancing towards safe, equitable and resilient health systems, the second day of the Summit reinforced a shared global commitment to science-based validation, robust governance, patient safety and equitable integration of traditional medicine. The discussions positioned traditional medicine as a vital contributor to resilient health systems, biodiversity stewardship and inclusive development, setting a strong foundation for the Summit’s final day of policy dialogue and collective global commitments.
