Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine
17–19 December 2025 | New Delhi, India
The second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, themed “Restoring balance: The science and practice of health and well-being”, will take place from 17 to 19 December 2025 at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre, New Delhi, India, jointly organized with the Government of India.
This hybrid event will convene policy-makers, scientists, practitioners and Indigenous leaders from over 100 countries to chart a global roadmap for integrating safe, evidence-based Traditional Medicine into health systems. More than 800 participants are expected in person, with up to 5000 joining online.
A global virtual media briefing will be held on Tuesday, 9 December, highlighting progress since the first WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in 2023 and how this year’s Summit will advance the global Traditional Medicine agenda.
The Summit will showcase scientific breakthroughs, policy innovations and new tools to advance the Global traditional medicine strategy 2025–2034, adopted at the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025. The full agenda is available here.
Launch of the WHO Traditional Medicine Global Library – world’s largest digital repository, featuring 1.6 million scientific records to strengthen evidence and knowledge sharing on Traditional Medicine.
Release of the Global Research Priorities Roadmap to guide research and close evidence gaps in Traditional Medicine.
Announcement of 21 breakthrough Health and Heritage Innovations in Traditional Medicine selected from 1100 submissions.
Commitments and pledges from governments and other partners
Call for a Global Consortium on Health and Heritage Innovation, to bridge gaps in research and development capacities, regulatory standards and mechanisms
Traditional Medicine – including complementary, integrative, Indigenous and ancestral practices – is a global reality. Billions of people rely on Traditional Medicine, often as the first, closest or only form of care. WHO data shows 170 of 194 countries report its use; in Germany and Ghana, usage reaches 70%, and in China and India, over 90%.
The demand for Traditional Medicine products and services is soaring. In many countries around the world, the practice of integrative medicine that combines Traditional and Complementary Medicine and biomedicine is gaining popularity, while the wellness economy linked to TM was valued at US$ 5.6 trillion in 2022 and is projected to reach US$ 8.5 trillion by 2027.
For the 4.6 billion people still lacking access to essential health services, safe and effective TM is vital for equity and universal health coverage. Traditional Medicine offers significant value at a time when chronic noncommunicable diseases have overtaken infectious diseases as the leading cause of death, and health systems face overlapping crises – from rising chronic disease and mental health challenges to deepening inequities and disruptions caused by drastic global health funding cuts.
Developing strong evidence for Traditional Medicine is critical yet challenging. Research on Traditional Medicine requires new research models and methodologies, and funding is scarce – less than 1% of global health research funding goes to Traditional Medicine, even as its use grows worldwide. WHO works to close this gap by setting global standards, generating rigorous evidence on safety and efficacy, and guiding countries on regulation and evidence-based integration.
New scientific discoveries, innovation and technology are reshaping how Traditional Medicine is researched, validated, regulated and safely integrated into health care. AI, digital platforms, genomics, metabolomics and others can help generate explicit, systematic and replicable evidence using scientifically robust yet fit-for-purpose approaches tailored to diverse traditions. There is a growing innovation ecosystem that strengthens Traditional Medicine research, regulation and investment.
WHO Traditional Medicine Global Library: An innovative, first-of-its-kind digital platform with over 1.6 million scientific records on Traditional Medicine; advanced features include evidence gap maps, database catalogues and TMGL GPT, an artificial intelligence model tailored to Traditional Medicine.
Global Research Priorities Roadmap: Addressing the fragmented research and lack of global guidance, it will guide evidence generation and integration of Traditional Medicine into health systems.
Health and Heritage Innovations (H2I) Challenge: 21 breakthrough innovations and Traditional Medicine solutions (selected from over 1000 global submissions) will be announced.
Traditional Medicine Data Network: A global data network that integrates and analyzes data on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine. Supported by a network of global experts and reference centres, the Traditional Medicine Data Network guarantees technical rigour, data quality and continuous innovation.
WHO global reference list of indicators for traditional, complementary and integrative medicine for health systems performance: Presenting, for the first time, a harmonized set of 31 core and 15 supplementary indicators to support countries in systematically assessing and strengthening the integration of Traditional Medicine within their national health systems.
Traditional Medicine informed health choices: Evaluates the safety and efficacy of Traditional Medicine practices within their cultural context. The project aims to promote informed decision-making and empower people to safely integrate Traditional Medicine into their health care.
Draft WHO Framework on Indigenous Knowledge, Biodiversity and Health: Co-developed with Indigenous peoples via dialogues to strengthen Indigenous-led engagement in global health and biodiversity governance, anchored in trust, partnership and co-creation.
Traditional Medicine investment landscape: The Inaugural meeting of the first Strategic Technical Advisory Group on Traditional Medicine (STAG TM), composed of experts from around the globe, will be held on the Summit’s sidelines on 17 December. STAG TM will help strengthen WHO’s scientific leadership by providing technical, scientific and strategic advice on Traditional Medicine, including on shaping research agenda and priorities, setting global standards and guiding evidence-based integration into health systems.
WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre
Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034
Gujarat Declaration (outcomes and recommendations of the first WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine)
WHO global report on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine 2024
Bulletin of the World Health Organization special issue on traditional medicine, November 2025
Mapping the application of artificial intelligence in traditional medicine, July 2025
Health topic: Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine
Media contacts: mediainquiries@who.int
