WHO Unveils Digital Platform For Traditional Medicine

The second World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Summit on Traditional Medicine has ended in New Delhi, bringing together over 800 delegates from more than 100 countries, including ministers from over 20 countries, alongside 16,000 online participants.

The gathering aimed to explore how traditional medicine (TM) can contribute to health systems, focusing on safe, evidence-based, and affordable care.

Over 160 speakers shared experiences from both scientific and Indigenous perspectives, while highlighting challenges in regulation, research, and integration into modern health services.

Among the Summit’s announcements was the launch of the Traditional Medicine Global Library (TMGL), a digital platform compiling 1.6 million resources on TM. The platform includes Evidence Gap Maps and an AI-powered tool, TMGL GPT, intended to help researchers access validated information more efficiently.

WHO also introduced Health & Heritage Innovations (H2I), an initiative to support projects that link traditional practices with emerging technologies like AI and genomics.

From over 1,000 submissions, 21 projects were selected for a year-long support programme involving regulatory guidance and investor connections.

A new advisory body, the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (STAG-TM), was established to guide WHO’s strategy through research prioritisation, standards development, and integration advice.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that traditional medicine could help address rising noncommunicable diseases, inequitable access to care, and other modern health challenges

Looking ahead, WHO has pledged to work with countries to translate these commitments into actionable policies, expand access to validated knowledge, and support innovation in traditional medicine.