The World Health Organization (WHO)’s Second Global Summit on Traditional Medicine (TM), jointly organised with the Government of India, is being held from 17^th to 19^th December, 2025 in Delhi under the theme “Restoring balance: The science and practice of health and well-being.”

The summit has brought together government ministers, scientists, indigenous leaders and practitioners from over 100 countries. The summit is expected to announce major scientific initiatives and new commitments aimed at advancing the implementation of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, centred on stronger evidence, better regulation, systems integration, collaboration and community engagement.

“WHO is committed to uniting the wisdom of millennia with the power of modern science and technology to realise the vision of health for all. By engaging responsibly, ethically and equitably, and by harnessing innovation from AI to genomics, we can unlock the potential of Traditional Medicine to deliver safer, smarter and more sustainable health solutions for every community and for our planet,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO.

Emerging evidence indicates that integrating TM into health systems can deliver cost efficiencies and improve health outcomes. Such integration emphasises prevention and health promotion, contributing to broader health benefits such as more appropriate use of antibiotics.

Achieving effective integration requires robust science, global standards for quality and safety, and strong regulatory mechanisms.

“We need to apply the same scientific rigour to the assessment and validation of biomedicine and traditional medicines, while respecting biodiversity, cultural specificities and ethical principles. Stronger collaborations and frontier technologies – such as AI, genomics, systems biology, neurosciences and advanced data analytics – can transform how we study and apply traditional medicine,” said Dr Sylvie Briand, WHO Chief Scientist.

Despite TM’s widespread use and vital role in stewarding natural resources for health and well-being, less than one percent of global health research funding is dedicated to TM. To help close the knowledge and research gaps, WHO is launching the Traditional Medicine Global Library, the first of its kind, featuring more than 1.6 million scientific records spanning research, policies, regulations and thematic collections on diverse TM applications.

Developed in response to calls by Heads of State during G20 and BRICS meetings in 2023, the library also provides equitable online access to peer-reviewed content for institutions in lower-income countries through the Research4Life initiative. It also supports countries in documenting TM with Intellectual Property (IP) protections and in building scientific capacity to drive innovation.

“Advancing traditional medicine is an evidence-based, ethical and environmental imperative. The Global Summit fosters the conditions and collaborations required for TM to contribute at scale to the flourishing of all people and the planet,” said Dr Shyama Kuruvilla, Director, a.i., Global Traditional Medicine Centre, WHO.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the closing ceremony of the summit, where he will also launch the My AYUSH Integrated Services Portal and unveil the AYUSH Mark, a global benchmark for the quality of AYUSH products and services. Besides, he will felicitate the recipients of the Prime Minister’s Awards for Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion and Development of Yoga for the years 2021–2025, and inaugurate the new WHO–South East Asian Regional Office complex in Delhi. 

The summit will also announce new commitments from governments and other stakeholders, alongside a call for a global consortium to address systemic gaps and accelerate implementation of the Global TM Strategy at scale.