Traditional medicine moved into a new implementation phase in 2025 as global health authorities strengthened evidence, regulation, data systems and health-system integration. The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre annual report for 2025 records the adoption of a global strategy, the consolidation of organisational functions and the expansion of research, digital and regulatory infrastructure. The programme links traditional medicine with primary healthcare, universal health coverage, digital health, biodiversity and sustainable development. Its direction centres on safe, effective, evidence-informed, equitable and sustainable approaches adapted to national contexts and supported by clearer accountability.
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Strategy Moves into Implementation
The Global traditional medicine strategy 2025–2034, adopted at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly, provides the organising framework for WHO activity in this field. Its four objectives cover stronger evidence and knowledge, appropriate regulation of products and practitioners, integration into health systems and broader cooperation on equity, sustainability and community participation. The strategy also recognises differences between traditions, knowledge systems and national regulatory settings.
WHO combined its Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar with its Geneva-based traditional, complementary and integrative medicine unit. The unified centre now brings research, standards, systems integration, partnerships and sustainability under one structure. Delivery is organised through the Director’s Office and three technical units: one for research and innovation, one for norms, regulation and systems integration and one for partnerships and sustainability. The reorganisation aims to reduce fragmentation, clarify responsibilities and coordinate work across headquarters, regional offices and country offices.
Regional activity reflected different health-system and regulatory needs. In Europe, consultations supported a scientific approach focused on evidence, safety, efficacy and patient-centred integration. A regional stakeholder meeting in Copenhagen brought together regulators and experts to identify knowledge gaps and consider the region’s regulatory and scientific landscape. European Member States also promoted digital health, artificial intelligence and data use to assess safety and clinical outcomes. Across WHO regions, implementation included regulatory cooperation, research priority-setting, health information standards and support for countries at different stages of integration.
Evidence, Data and Regulation Expand
The WHO Traditional Medicine Global Library launched as a digital gateway containing more than 1.6 million publications and material covering every WHO Member State. The platform is intended to reduce fragmented access to knowledge and support evidence-informed policy and practice. A global research roadmap was developed through expert and regional consultations, with priorities linked to disease burden, policy relevance, patient and practitioner value and cultural context. A review of more than 1,700 research projects accompanied this work.
Data integration advanced through pilots incorporating traditional medicine into national health information systems using the International Classification of Diseases. A minimum data set tested the feasibility of producing standardised information on service use, while initial work explored tracking expenditure through national health accounts. Interactive global and country dashboards, a global survey and a reference list of indicators were developed for monitoring and accountability.
Regulatory work concentrated on herbal medicines, quality assurance and pharmacovigilance. National authorities exchanged information through the International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines network, while training workshops supported practical application of standards, monitoring tools and integration models. A conceptual framework linked integration to health-system building blocks and national circumstances.
Digital work covered artificial intelligence ethics and governance, an online course and a joint technical brief with international technology and intellectual property bodies. The Health Heritage Innovations initiative screened more than 1,000 submissions. Indigenous knowledge, biodiversity conservation and equitable benefit-sharing remained part of the programme.
Global Commitments Set the Next Delivery Priorities
The second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine brought governments, Indigenous leaders, practitioners, researchers, regulators and civil society together in New Delhi. Participation covered more than 100 countries and combined an in-person meeting with online access. Technical discussions followed the strategy’s objectives on evidence, regulation, health-system integration and cross-sector cooperation. The summit also introduced the global library, an innovation programme and an exhibition connecting traditional knowledge with science, digital tools, biodiversity and culture.
A ministerial roundtable produced commitments on primary healthcare integration, stronger safety and regulatory standards, research investment and interoperable data systems. The Delhi declaration reinforced these areas and called for community knowledge and scientific evidence to inform decisions together. It also supported international classification systems and a minimum data set to improve documentation and comparison.
WHO established its first Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine. Independent experts advise on research priorities, standards, regulation and health-system integration, adding an advisory mechanism to programme governance.
Five priorities guide work from 2026. They include expanding evidence-informed resources and the global data network, defining regulatory benchmarks for herbal medicines and developing an International Herbal Pharmacopoeia. WHO also plans evidence-based clinical guidance supported by clinical centres, data collection and responsible artificial intelligence. Initial guideline areas include acupuncture for chronic pain, greens and vitamin C fruit formulations for anaemia and mind–body practices for mental health and well-being. Further priorities cover preparations for the 2027 summit, practical country support and stronger regional and global cooperation.
WHO’s traditional medicine programme now combines a global policy mandate with research infrastructure, regulatory cooperation, monitoring tools and country support. The 2025 work establishes a more coordinated basis for evaluating safety, effectiveness, quality and appropriate integration rather than treating traditional medicine as a separate system. The next phase centres on practical standards, clinical guidance, data networks and implementation support, with national adaptation remaining central. Continued attention to evidence, consumer safety, equitable participation, Indigenous knowledge and sustainability defines the planned route from international commitments towards measurable health-system activity.
Source: World Health Organization
Image Credit: iStock
References:
WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre: annual report 2025. (2026) Geneva: World Health Organization.
