World Health Summit - High-level Plenary on Traditional Medicine, New Delhi, India

How will the upcoming WHO Traditional Medicine Global Strategy 2025–2034 help guide and support Member States in integrating traditional medicine into primary health care, particularly to expand equitable access and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage in underserved communities?  

2025-2034 Strategy: Background 

WHO exercised its convening role to facilitate the drafting of the upcoming Global Traditional Medicine Strategy. 

The 76th World Health Assembly asked our Director-General to extend the 2014-2023 traditional medicine strategy and create a new global strategy for 2025 to 2034. 

We engaged in a series of global consultations amongst member states. The draft strategy that resulted in will be submitted by the Executive Board for consideration of the 78th World Health Assembly next month. 

As WHO, we acknowledge the need to investigate how to incorporate safe, evidence-based traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (or TCIM) into national and local health systems. We also continue to monitor the difficulties countries face in regulating and researching TCIM. 

For everyone’s health and well-being, the draft strategy calls for universal access to safe, efficient, and people-centered TCIM.  

2025-2034 Strategy – Guiding Member States 

The upcoming WHO Traditional Medicine Global Strategy 2025–2034 aims to guide and support Member States in integrating traditional medicine into primary health care by establishing a robust evidence base, implementing appropriate regulatory mechanisms, and promoting cross-sector collaboration.  

This strategy will help expand equitable access to traditional medicine, particularly in underserved communities, by ensuring safe and effective practices are integrated into health systems. By doing so, it will accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage, enhancing health equity and well-being for all. 

For everyone’s health and well-being, the draft strategy calls for universal access to safe, efficient, and people-centered TCIM. It has four strategic objectives: 

• Establishing the evidence base; 

• Promoting the provision of safe and effective TCIM through suitable regulatory mechanisms 

• Integrating safe and effective TCIM into health systems; and 

• Maximizing cross-sector collaboration 

There are several ways of supporting each strategic objective. One is cross-sector policies and action plans for the protection, access, and benefit-sharing of traditional medical knowledge. Appropriate regulatory mechanisms for products, practices, and practitioners are another. So is integration into health systems and across the care continuum and life course. And finally, high-quality research, appropriate research approaches, and the use of technology.  

The goal of this draft strategy is to help countries create and implement national strategic plans that are appropriate for their national situations. It also encourages countries to assess their action plan implementation, submitting data for worldwide reporting via WHO. 

I’m very much looking forward to feedback from the World Health Assembly on this global strategy next month.  

Traditional Medicine in SEARO 

Traditional medicine (or TRM) is respected in our South-East Asia Region. 

Across our Region, traditional medicine is widely available within the community, close to where people live and work, and is aligned with health-seeking behaviors. 

• All the eleven countries in our region have national policies for TRM, and nine countries have formal training and education for practitioners of traditional medicine. 

• Six of our countries have co-located traditional medicine services within their health systems. Five have national essential medicines policies on TRM, and five also provide insurance coverage for traditional medicine services.  

• Recently, a TRM chapter was added to ICD-11 (Module 2), so the data and terminology relating to diseases based on Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Medicine have been included in the WHO ICD-11 classification.

• We have the two examples of best practices in Bhutan and Thailand. Bhutan has mainstreamed TRM in the national health system, and Thailand’s real-time monitoring system ensures that the quality of TRM has been recorded and reported. 

• India has expanded TRM infrastructure, promoted research, and integrated technology. Digital platforms like Ayush Grid, e-Sanjeevani, and Ayush Telemedicine have improved healthcare access, especially in remote areas. 

• The International Day of Yoga is recognized around the world. The Global Traditional Medicine Centre has been established in Gujrat, which focuses on evidence and learning, data and analytics, sustainability and equity, and innovation and technology. 

So, as you can see, South-East Asia is a major contributor to TRM.  

Please let us know the perspective on Health system integration and how this is playing out in SEAR?   

Here, in South-East Asia, traditional medicine systems are increasingly being supported by modern policy frameworks, data innovations, and advancements in research and technology. This is a holistic approach which we hope will enhance health outcomes by integrating ancient practices and modern technology.