WHO Launches Global Strategy to Integrate Traditional Medicines into Mainstream Healthcare
The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to implement a global traditional medicines strategy for the coming decade aimed at harnessing traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) based on scientific evidence. This new initiative includes building an evidence base, regulating treatments and practitioners, and integrating these medical practices into mainstream healthcare where appropriate.
A strategic technical advisory group for traditional medicine was launched at a global summit in New Delhi, marking a significant step toward bridging traditional medicine and biomedicine. This move reflects growing national-level integrations, as seen in Thailand where the health ministry recommended the use of traditional remedies in place of some biomedicines for conditions such as muscle pain and constipation.
WHO emphasizes that any recommendations must be supported by robust evidence on safety and efficacy. Notably, homeopathy is excluded from WHO's definition of traditional medicine and will not be endorsed without strong evidence.
Currently, most traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine services operate outside formal health systems, are often paid out-of-pocket by patients, and face fewer regulatory quality checks. The WHO strategy seeks to introduce safeguards to protect patients in the expanding trillion-dollar wellness industry.
Technological advances including genomics, artificial intelligence, and brain imaging now offer new methods to study traditional medicines and measure their effects, such as monitoring changes in brain activity during meditation.
Overall, the WHO's initiative aims to build a bridge between traditional and biomedical medicine by finding common ground and applying rigorous science to ensure patient safety. Traditional medicine encompasses a wide range of systems predating biomedicine, including herbal therapies and Ayurveda. The strategy is also expected to improve primary healthcare, support universal health coverage, and enhance self-reliance among countries by alleviating workforce shortages and enabling resource sharing.
