The Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine commenced today at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in the global integration of traditional medicine into modern health systems. The summit was inaugurated by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Shri JP Nadda, in the presence of Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush, Shri Prataprao Jadhav. The inaugural session also featured a special video address by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Held from 17 to 19 December 2025, the three-day global scientific congregation is jointly organised by the WHO and the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, under the theme “Restoring Balance: The Science and Practice of Health and Well-Being.” Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is expected to address the closing ceremony on December 19, 2025.
WHO Applauds India’s Leadership in Traditional Medicine
In his video message, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus lauded India’s leadership and sustained partnership with WHO in advancing traditional medicine globally. He underlined that health is not solely about technology or treatment, but about balance, dignity and shared human wisdom.
Referring to the adoption of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 by the World Health Assembly earlier this year, Dr. Tedros highlighted its four key pillars—strengthening scientific evidence, ensuring safety and quality through regulation, integrating traditional medicine into national health systems starting with primary healthcare, and unlocking its value for biodiversity and sustainability. He also emphasised the establishment of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India as a decisive step toward translating global strategy into action.
India–WHO Partnership Driving Global Integration
Addressing the inaugural session, Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav stated that India’s collaboration with WHO reflects a shared commitment to mainstreaming traditional medicine through science, standards and evidence. He highlighted key milestones since the partnership began in 2016, including the launch of ICD-11 Module 2 in 2024, which integrates Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani morbidity codes into international health classification systems.
Shri Jadhav noted that ongoing work on the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) and the establishment of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre at Jamnagar, scheduled for completion in October 2025, represent a decisive shift toward global acceptance and institutional strengthening of traditional medicine.
Expanding Global Footprint of AYUSH
Shri Jadhav further outlined India’s expanding international cooperation in traditional medicine through education, research and capacity building. India currently offers 104 scholarships annually to foreign nationals, has signed 26 country-level MoUs, collaborates with over 50 global institutions, and has established Ayush Chairs in 15 universities and Ayush Information Cells in 43 countries.
He highlighted collaborative research initiatives such as Ashwagandha trials in the UK, Guduchi studies in Germany, and Ayurveda-based diabetes research in Latvia, which are building a growing global evidence base. Leveraging digital platforms like the Ayush Grid and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, India is systematically documenting and validating traditional knowledge to address contemporary global health challenges.
Reaffirming Commitment to Science-Based and Equitable Traditional Medicine
Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, emphasised that the Summit builds on the momentum of the first WHO Global Summit and the Gujarat Declaration, reaffirming a global commitment to science-based, sustainable and equitable traditional medicine. He highlighted the Jamnagar WHO Centre as a future global hub for policy, research and innovation and stressed that the Summit aims to strengthen regulation, safeguard biodiversity and traditional knowledge, and harness frontier technologies—anchored in the principle of restoring balance for people and the planet.
Ashwagandha in Focus: From Tradition to Global Science
A key highlight of the inaugural day was the parallel session titled “Ashwagandha: From Traditional Wisdom to Global Impact.” The session brought together international experts, regulators and researchers to examine the scientific, regulatory and safety landscape of Withania somnifera.
Discussions focused on Ashwagandha’s growing global recognition for its adaptogenic, neuroprotective and immunomodulatory properties, while emphasising the need for rigorous clinical research, standardisation, pharmacovigilance and harmonised global standards to ensure responsible integration into modern healthcare.
Plenary Sessions on Restoring Balance in Global Health
Following the inauguration, the Summit opened a series of plenary discussions examining balance in health systems, knowledge governance, biodiversity stewardship and equity. Plenary 1 brought together leaders from WHO, the Ministry of Ayush, China, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand, highlighting imbalances in knowledge access, governance and planetary health.
Subsequent sessions explored plural evidence models, equity and benefit-sharing for Indigenous knowledge holders, ecological balance and biodiversity conservation, and governance frameworks for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM). Collectively, the discussions underscored that health is inseparable from harmony between people, communities and ecosystems.
Conclusion
The opening day of the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine reaffirmed India’s leadership and global commitment to advancing science-based, equitable and sustainable traditional medicine. As the Summit progresses toward technical deliberations and policy dialogues, it sets a strong conceptual foundation for positioning traditional medicine as a vital catalyst for restoring balance in global health systems and fostering harmony between humanity and nature.
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Source: PIB
