WHO to Study Traditional Medicine for Potential Integration into Mainstream Healthcare
The World Health Organization (WHO) will study traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) with the aim of integrating it into mainstream healthcare where evidence supports its safety and efficacy. This initiative includes building a robust evidence base and regulating both treatments and practitioners.
A new global traditional medicines strategy has been agreed for the coming decade to harness the potential of TCIM for health and wellbeing, emphasizing evidence-based approaches. Traditional medicine encompasses a range of centuries-old practices such as herbal remedies, Ayurveda, and acupuncture. Researchers plan to use modern techniques including artificial intelligence, genomics, and brain imaging to assess these methods.
Thailand's health ministry has already recommended certain traditional remedies for conditions like muscle pain and constipation, with randomized trials underway to consider placing some herbal treatments on the essential medicines list.
Despite its popularity and role in the growing trillion-dollar wellness industry, many TCIM services remain outside formal health systems and are often paid for out-of-pocket without quality assurance. Concerns have been raised about unscientific approaches, such as homeopathy, which WHO excludes from its definition of traditional medicine due to lack of robust evidence.
At the New Delhi summit, WHO launched a new strategic technical advisory group for traditional medicine to bridge the gap between traditional practices and biomedicine, focusing on patient safety and strong scientific evidence.
Kuruvilla, a WHO official, noted that traditional medicine could be a valuable resource supporting universal health coverage and workforce development if backed by solid evidence.
