Restoring balance: The science and practice of health and well-being
17–19 December 2025 | New Delhi, India
The second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine aims to advance a global movement to restore balance for people and the planet, grounded in the science and practice of Traditional Medicine. Guided by the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, the Summit will highlight the latest evidence and innovations, and address critical issues including health systems regulation and integration; respectful information exchange with Indigenous Peoples and across knowledge paradigms; biodiversity preservation and intellectual property rights; and the transformative potential of frontier technologies. New products, collaborations and initiatives will be presented, alongside concrete pledges and commitments.
*Please note that all timings are in IST.
This plenary session will open the technical deliberations of the second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, framing the Summit’s theme of “Restoring balance: The science and practice of health and well-being”. This opening plenary sets the stage by examining why imbalances in knowledge, access, governance and planetary health persist and what restoring balance could mean for societies today. Global leaders and experts will share bold perspectives on how diverse knowledge systems, scientific rigour, equitable governance, biodiversity stewardship and Indigenous rights contribute to restoring balance. The plenary also introduces emerging ideas for coordinated global action, including proposals such as a Global Consortium on Traditional Medicine and Innovation to support implementation of the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034. It is a key moment to emphasize that restoring balance is not only a philosophical ideal but an urgent necessity for global health, justice, ecological resilience and planetary survival. The narratives that emerge will resonate across the Summit and inform subsequent policy deliberations and public discourse.
This parallel session explores the role of Traditional Medicine within the broader continuum of health knowledge – examining how such knowledge has evolved and continues to evolve over time and how equitable, non-exploitative access to it might be strengthened. The session will look at Traditional Medicine as a diverse, living system that continues to adapt in relation to biomedicine. The session will explore the barriers and enablers to recognizing plural evidence models, consider what traditional health knowledge might mean when viewed through both ancestral and contemporary lenses, and trace how certain knowledge systems came to dominate global health while others were marginalized. As importantly, the session will consider how technology and innovation can be used to restore and expand access to diverse knowledge systems and reflect on how digitization and other tools can support the acknowledgement and encouragement of Traditional Medicine knowledge without promoting its assimilation or appropriation.
This parallel session aims to facilitate dialogue on equitable, legal, social and ethical frameworks for accessing and utilizing Traditional Medicine knowledge (TMK). It will examine critical questions such as who controls TMK, who benefits from it and who is left behind. Participants will explore historical and contemporary drivers of imbalance in access and benefit-sharing (ABS) – from colonization and commodification to intellectual property regimes and inequitable global markets, while identifying examples of fair benefit-sharing and equitable governance from around the world that illustrate both the harms of exclusion and the promise of equitable sharing. Panellists will reflect on power, rights and justice in the governance of knowledge, and propose strategies that ensure reward for knowledge holders, practitioners and communities. The session will also examine what could have been possible if such imbalances had not existed, and how pathways of restitution, recognition and fair benefit-sharing can be created.
This parallel session is interested in the role of Traditional Medicine and traditional understandings of health, well-being and healing in ecosystem stewardship, with an aim towards understanding how Traditional Medicine can contribute to the restoration of human–ecosystem balance. The session seeks to explore the foundations of human–ecosystem balance, disruptions to and gaps in this balance, current contributions and innovations to improve balance, and pathways for future action. The session will solicit viewpoints from speakers who work from within existing frameworks for holistic human and planetary health and well-being, including Planetary Health, One Health and Indigenous and other traditional knowledge paradigms.
This parallel session seeks to analyse governance models, equity-focused policies and resource allocation strategies for Traditional Medicine integration, as well as showcase innovative mechanisms and equity-driven reforms to scale the sustainability of Traditional Medicine.
This plenary session will emphasize the critical role of science, sustained investment and innovation in advancing Traditional Medicine as a foundation of people- and planet-centred health. It will highlight how rigorous research, methodological harmonization, strategic financing and innovation ecosystems can elevate Traditional Medicine to an evidence-driven global health movement. By linking resource mobilization, scientific collaboration and resilient health systems, the session aims to rally global commitment to implement the Global Traditional Medicine Research Agenda and accelerate Traditional Medicine’s contribution to sustainable development and universal health coverage.
This parallel session will translate key findings from the WHO Traditional Medicine Research Roadmap into actionable insights that support the implementation of the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034. The session aims to strengthen the global research ecosystem for Traditional Medicine by addressing complexity, codification and capacity-building through regionally diverse case studies and expert presentations. It will explore how Traditional Medicine research can align with the Sustainable Development Goals, support people-centred and culturally responsive care, and contribute to health system integration and economic evaluation. Through a moderated panel discussion, the session will foster cross-sector dialogue and global collaboration, empowering researchers, policy-makers and communities to co-design inclusive, sustainable and impactful research agendas.
This parallel session will examine methodological frameworks and innovative research approaches that are paradigmatically aligned with Traditional Medicine systems of knowledge and practice. It will cover conventional and innovative methods and strategies across a range of research paradigms. This encompasses rigorous and real-world focused clinical trials (including multimodal and whole systems designs with dual Traditional Medicine and biomedical diagnoses); transdisciplinary preclinical designs focused on complexity and synergy; social science and implementation studies using a range of theoretical approaches; and groundbreaking decolonial Indigenous methodologies. Discussions will address barriers and enablers for research production and application, as well as ethical considerations and strategies to combat misinformation. The session aims to equip researchers, practitioners, decision-makers and other interest-holders with robust, culturally appropriate and scientifically credible inquiry methods, as well as effective modes of translating evidence in policy and practice. This session aligns with Strategic Objective 1 of the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034.
This parallel session explores how Traditional Medicine contributes to well-being across the life course, with evidence on mental health, pain management, cancer care, self-care, antibiotic resistance and personalized strategies for healthy lifespans. It examines mechanisms linking Traditional Medicine practices and Indigenous wisdom with biomedical frontiers. The session aims to showcase practical applications, promote informed and safe health choices, and identify policy pathways for scaling access and ensuring equity. Ultimately, it positions the science of well-being as a bridge between ancient knowledge and innovation, demonstrating how Traditional Medicine can strengthen individuals, communities and health systems globally. Expected outputs include actionable recommendations for research priorities, policy pathways and collaborative mechanisms that position Traditional Medicine as a credible and equitable contributor to global well-being and health system resilience.
This parallel session explores the concept of innovation within Traditional Medicine and how innovations can move from local practice to global impact. It tackles the innovation-to-investment continuum for Traditional Medicine, examining whether and why innovation is necessary, how ideas become validated solutions, how to design fair and rigorous criteria for evaluating innovations, and how to mobilize investments that can be scaled up to improve access and universal health coverage for both health and economic returns. With a focus on governance, equity and scale, the discussion will highlight pathways to transform Traditional Medicine’s potential into sustainable health solutions for all.
This parallel session aims to advance global understanding of the scientific and practical value of meditation as a key component of health and well-being. It will synthesize the latest neuroscientific, clinical and public health evidence on meditation; explore its impact on mental, physical and social well-being across the life course; and highlight opportunities to integrate meditation into policy, practice and education. By bringing together researchers, policy-makers and practitioners, the session will identify pathways for institutionalizing meditation within national health systems, community programmes, workplaces and schools. It will promote informed recommendations for policy integration, strengthen cross-sector collaboration and identify research and practice gaps to guide future investment, innovation and partnerships in this evolving field.
This plenary session will introduce the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 and outline its vision and priorities for advancing integration of Traditional Medicine into health systems in ways that are safe, efficient and inclusive, building on WHO’s conceptual tools and guidance. The proceedings will highlight regional and country experiences, particularly from South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, showcasing how Traditional Medicine is being incorporated into primary health care, supported by policy and legislative advances that drive integration at the national level. It will underscore the importance of robust regulatory frameworks and governance, including the role of the International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH) network in strengthening safety, quality and harmonization across countries.
This parallel session aims to deepen understanding of the diverse pathways for integrating Traditional Medicine into national health systems, as set out in a new WHO conceptual framework. By examining four distinct models – people-led, practitioner-led, coordinated and blended – the session will provide a comparative lens to explore how decentralized and centralized approaches can strengthen health service delivery, governance, financing and workforce development. Through case examples and cross-country insights, participants will gain practical perspectives on how integration models can advance universal health coverage, respond to people’s health-seeking behaviours, and contribute to resilient, inclusive and sustainable health systems that embody the conference theme of restoring balance for people and the planet.
This parallel session aims to advance the agenda of quality and patient safety in Traditional Medicine as a foundation for its safe and effective integration into health systems. Building on WHO’s work on quality and patient safety, the discussion will highlight countries’ experiences regarding the role of education and training in strengthening practitioner competence and ethical standards; mechanisms for enhancing patient safety; and systems for accrediting Traditional Medicine health facilities. Through the exchange of international experiences, the session will identify pathways for integrating Traditional Medicine in ways that are effective, people-centred, safe and aligned with universal health coverage goals.
This parallel session aims to advance the global dialogue on regulatory approaches in Traditional Medicine products to ensure quality, safety, efficacy and equitable access. Building on WHO’s work in governance and standard setting, the session will highlight the role of robust regulatory frameworks in safeguarding public health, fostering trust and supporting innovation. Discussions will focus on models for regulating Traditional Medicine products; mechanisms for market authorization and post-market surveillance; and strategies for addressing challenges such as cross-border trade, digital health applications and protection of traditional knowledge. By showcasing country experiences and emerging best practices, the session will identify pathways for strengthening regulatory systems that enable responsible integration of evidence-based Traditional Medicine into national health policies, aligned with universal health coverage, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034.
This parallel session will focus on strengthening the foundations of Traditional Medicine integration through education, evidence-based practices and regulatory approaches that support resilient health systems. Discussions will explore models for regulating Traditional Medicine practitioners to ensure minimum standards of education and practice, promote accountability and ethical conduct, and support broader health system goals. The session will also highlight the role of education and continuous professional development in embedding evidence-based practice and fostering safe, effective and culturally responsive care. In addition, participants will examine the development and application of clinical practice guidelines that align Traditional Medicine with patient safety priorities and health system standards. A key focus will be on how evidence-based Traditional Medicine can enhance system resilience by ensuring continuity of care in routine settings while strengthening preparedness and response in times of crisis.
This plenary session explores the concept of accountability within Traditional Medicine, recognizing its foundations in ancestral knowledge, cultural practice and community trust. Accountability provides the framework for ensuring that Traditional Medicine contributes to evidence-based, transparent and equitable health systems. It requires standardized and comparable reporting of data on Traditional Medicine and measurable information to support evidence-based decision-making, responsible, human-centred use of technology, and strong governance and active participation by state and non-state actors. It also demands respect for diverse knowledge systems, ensuring that accountability frameworks recognize plural ways of knowing and uphold cultural integrity. Additionally, accountability calls for respectful investment that values cultural heritage and ensures fair distribution of resources. By examining these interconnected dimensions, this plenary session aims to chart a collective pathway for how accountability can be institutionalized and practised across Traditional Medicine systems worldwide. It sets the stage for the parallel sessions that follow, each deepening the conversation on data, knowledge, technology and action for accountability in Traditional Medicine.
This parallel session explores how WHO tools enable standardized, interoperable Traditional Medicine data to strengthen measurement, accountability and governance. The session will introduce the Traditional Medicine Data Pathway, linking the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11) and International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) coding systems, the WHO Minimum Data Set for Traditional Medicine (MDS-TM-RHIS), the World Health Survey Plus (WHS+) Traditional Medicine module and Traditional Medicine health expenditure tracking to demonstrate how harmonized data can inform evidence-based policymaking and transparent resource allocation. It will also examine how this data initiative ultimately connects to the WHO Traditional Medicine Data Network (TMDN) led by the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre to showcase global value. Embodying the Summit’s theme of restoring balance, it connects scientific rigour with the holistic principles of Traditional Medicine, integrating traditional knowledge into health information systems to promote individual, societal and environmental balance.
This parallel session explores how responsible, inclusive and ethical digital transformation can restore balance between technology and tradition, enhancing the quality, safety and accessibility of Traditional Medicine. Participants will examine how artificial intelligence (AI) can harmonize scientific and traditional knowledge, promote equitable access and foster people-centred innovation. The discussion will bridge policy and practice, advancing safe, evidence-based and sustainable AI-driven Traditional Medicine aligned with WHO’s global strategy for universal health coverage and innovation.
This parallel session aims to advance the operationalization of the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034. Building on insights generated during the 2025 World Health Summit (WHS) dialogue on operationalizing the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy, this session focuses on defining how progress will be measured, reported and collectively advanced. Anchored in the Strategy’s four strategic objectives, it seeks to establish a shared foundation for accountability by identifying priority indicators and data structures, articulating actionable multisectoral commitments, ensuring equity and community voice in accountability design, and initiating the first reporting cycle. Together, the WHS dialogue and this session form a continuum – from identifying implementation challenges to establishing mechanisms that make the integration of Traditional Medicine trackable, transparent and globally aligned.
Check out our session recordings to catch up on everything.
The Summit will bring together participants on-site in New Delhi, India and online, including government leaders, health practitioners, scientists and civil society, to explore how Traditional Medicine can help shape more holistic and sustainable approaches to health.
Online participants will be able to join a livestream of all Summit sessions through this website, as well as watching recordings in their own time.
The Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 was adopted in May 2025 at the 78th World Health Assembly, establishing a global consensus on definitions, objectives and guiding principles.
The Strategy recognizes Traditional Medicine as a living science that contributes to universal health coverage, health equity and sustainability. It provides a global roadmap to ensure safe, effective, evidence-based and equitable integration of Traditional Medicine into health care systems, while respecting cultural diversity and Indigenous knowledge, contributing to biodiversity conservation and promoting sustainability and innovation.
The world’s most comprehensive digital repository for Traditional Medicine with content for every WHO Member State and over 1.5 million scientific publications and other resources.
© WHO/Harrison Thane
Findings from regional consultations identifying research priorities and addressing evidence challenges in Traditional Medicine.
© WHO/Ernest Ankomah
A special issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization that explores the profound potential of Traditional Medicine.
© Alamy Stock Photo
Showcasing 21 high-impact innovations selected from a global open call to participate in an investment matching and scale-up programme.
WHO has established the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (STAG-TM)
Across centuries and civilizations, humanity has sought one essential truth – balance. You are invited to explore how traditional knowledge systems and contemporary science come together to restore harmony between the body, mind and environment. Through four immersive zones, journey through ancient philosophies, living practices and scientific frontiers shaping the future of integrative health.
Health begins with understanding: In this zone, explore how Traditional Medicine systems have taken shape across the world. It traces how knowledge systems evolved – across Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, Europe and the Mediterranean, and the Americas – through observation, cosmology, manuscripts and exchange to form structured approaches to health, diagnosis and treatment.
Through texts, maps and visual narratives, discover how ideas have travelled and transformed, contributing to a collective global knowledge base. A specially commissioned introductory film and the WHO Traditional Medicine Global Library extend this exploration, connecting historical foundations with contemporary research and evidence.
Understanding becomes practice: Across the five interactive labs in this zone, you learn by doing – exploring sensory diagnostics, meditation techniques, botanical knowledge, digital health tools, data pathways and emerging innovations. Each lab offers a practical opportunity for self-learning, curiosity and practical discovery of how different approaches can help you restore balance in yourself and the world around you, bridging ancient principles and contemporary methods. You also encounter the Healers’ Voices wall, sharing lived experiences and wisdom from practitioners around the world.
Practice becomes action: We all have a role to play in sustaining balance in the world around us. This zone is organized around the four main objectives of the Global Strategy for Traditional Medicine 2025-2034, adopted in 2025 by the World Health Assembly: Strengthening Evidence, Regulation, Health system integration, and Cross-sector engagement.
Explore each of these areas to support your own contributions – by learning about new innovations and scientific findings, WHO policy tools for regulation and integration, and global efforts and actions that are building a growing movement for Traditional Medicine.
Knowledge becomes community: At the heart of the Traditional Medicine Discovery Experience, we find a space to meet, connect and reflect. Connected spaces for innovation, art and dialogue invite conversation and connection: the Restoring Balance Innovation Stage, Cinema, Photo gallery and Tea bar. Slow down and share your journey to restoring balance in your own life, work and community.
In 2025, the World Health Organization commissioned photography and video from 15 countries to show how patients, practitioners, health planners, researchers and policy-makers are bringing together centuries-old Traditional Medicine wisdom with cutting-edge science. Through this gallery, we invite you to see how communities are taking forward the objectives of the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 – leading new research and innovations, strengthening regulation and integration, and fostering cross-sectoral engagement for greater health and well-being for all.
Traditional medicinal ingredients are cleaned, weighed and packed at a licensed facility in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia’s Ministry of Health regulates herbal products through good manufacturing practice standards, ensuring quality, safety and consistency across Traditional Medicine manufacturing.
At Tung Shin Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, trained staff prepare and blend herbal ingredients according to prescribed formulations within a regulated hospital-based Traditional Medicine service.
The herb garden at Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital supports patient education and care, reflecting the public hospital’s integration of Traditional and Complementary Medicine within Malaysia’s national policy framework.
A patient receives a session of acupuncture at Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital, where traditional and complementary therapies are provided alongside rehabilitation services in line with Malaysia’s national Traditional Medicine integration policy.
In addition to her traditional healing practice, Gogo Phakathi also works as a counsellor at a hospital in Johannesburg. “Doctors and healers learn from each other so that every patient is helped”, she says. Collaboration between traditional and biomedical practitioners strengthens holistic care for the community.
A herbalist grinds roots and leaves in one of Cairo’s traditional apothecaries. Egypt’s Drug Authority now registers herbal medicines and develops national formularies – preserving ancestral remedies while working towards improved quality, safety and evidence-based use.
Inside her indumba – a healing hut used for prayer, consultation and ancestral communication – Gogo Phakathi welcomes community members seeking guidance. Such spaces embody the integration of spirituality, counseling and Traditional Medicine in southern African healing systems.
At a pharmacy in Cairo, Mohamed Ismail fills a prescription that combines contemporary medication with herbal support. Egypt’s evolving health system recognizes patients’ plural choices, encouraging dialogue between doctors, pharmacists and traditional healers.
Master healer Inés Valencia Ramos performs a limpia – a cleansing ritual using herbs, smoke and prayer to restore spiritual harmony. As a teacher at the Totonac School of Traditional Medicine, she transmits centuries-old healing knowledge to younger generations.
The feet of a practitioner and patient hold contact during a Mirimiri session at Manawa Ora Mirimiri and Workshops, Wellington. Grounding through touch expresses the Māori concept of whenua – connection to the earth – in a reminder that healing begins with balance between body, spirit and land.
In the healing garden of the Totonac School of Traditional Medicine, labels identify native plants such as Uncaria tomentosa – known as cojón de gato or cat’s claw. Used traditionally for inflammation and digestive ailments, the plant is now studied for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.
Dr Mehari Girmay examines Lippia adoensis, an aromatic Ethiopian herb studied for antimicrobial activity. Researchers test hypotheses from traditional practices in the laboratory to identify compounds that may help fight drug-resistant infections – bridging ancestral practice and microbiology.
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* The term Traditional Medicine (TM) is used to encompass all of the following:
