New delhi: With half of the global population lacking access to essential health services, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is intensifying its focus on traditional medicine as part of efforts to address global health demands and challenges. Dr. Shyama Kuruvilla, Director a.i. of WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, highlighted these efforts during a virtual media briefing ahead of the second edition of the WHO Global Summit scheduled from December 17 to 19 in New Delhi, India.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Kuruvilla emphasized that traditional medicine has become a global reality, with approximately 90 percent of WHO member states reporting its use among 40 to 90 percent of their populations. Earlier this year, all WHO member states adopted the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025 to 2034, which aims to guide efforts on evidence, regulation, systems integration, and multi-stakeholder collaboration rooted in community engagement.
Dr. Kuruvilla noted that for many, traditional medicine is the nearest or only available care option, and it is preferred by others due to its personalized and holistic nature. It supports overall well-being rather than solely treating specific disease symptoms. A diverse global workforce, ranging from community-based healers to university-educated clinicians and researchers, provides these services. The rising global demand is driven by chronic diseases, mental health needs, stress management, and the search for holistic, personalized, and meaningful care.
Addressing concerns about safety and efficacy, Dr. Kuruvilla stated that WHO’s role is to ensure traditional medicine is safe, evidence-informed, and equitably integrated into systems, akin to other forms of medicine. She emphasized that advancing traditional medicine is an evidence-based ethical and environmental imperative, with the global summit aiming to foster conditions and collaborations for its large-scale contribution to global health and environmental sustainability.
WHO is launching several global initiatives, including a traditional medicine global library with over 1.6 million scientific publications and records, and a global research priority roadmap based on regional consultations. The summit is expected to mark a turning point by highlighting government leadership, civil society action, systemic global gaps, opportunities for multilateral collaboration, and innovation across countries.
Dr. Sylvie Briand, WHO Chief Scientist, explained that millions globally use Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM), which offers a variety of treatments and approaches. She noted that while this diversity presents numerous potential solutions, it also challenges the scientific community to rigorously assess the safety, usefulness, and efficacy of these treatments.
Dr. Briand emphasized the importance of evidence-based medicine, which relies on standardized methods and reproducible results. The challenge with TCIM lies in its vast diversity and personalized approaches, often transmitted orally rather than through formal education. She highlighted the role of AI in screening herbal compounds to maximize benefits and minimize adverse effects, akin to the impact of artemisinin in malaria treatment.
Despite its potential, global investment in traditional medicine research remains low. Dr. Briand called for increased investment in TCIM to address prevailing health challenges such as mental health issues, chronic diseases, and inequities in access to care. By aligning efforts through a research agenda, WHO aims to unlock TCIM’s full potential to complement modern medicine and improve global health outcomes.
In a significant step, WHO has published a special issue of its bulletin dedicated to TCIM, covering topics from original research papers to indigenous peoples’ rights and respectful knowledge exchange.