Steering Committee established for second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine

WHO has appointed 15 experts in traditional medicine, public health and policy to provide strategic and technical advice to the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine.

The Summit, to be held on 17–19 December in New Delhi, India, will explore the theme “Restoring balance: The science and practice of health and well-being”. Building on the success of the inaugural WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, the 2025 Summit will delve deeper into the scientific innovations shaping the field, addressing critical issues such as biodiversity protection, intellectual property rights and the transformative potential of AI.

Dr Goh Cheng Soon, Director of the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division, Ministry of Health, Malaysia and co-chair of the Steering Committee, said: “Our vision is disease prevention, early intervention and access to treatment for all – ensuring no one is left behind. As we move towards integrating traditional medicine into national health systems, we can preserve and protect traditional knowledge, religious beliefs and cultural values through ethical considerations and proper regulatory mechanisms.”

The 2025 Summit will advance the implementation of the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034, adopted by the 78^th World Health Assembly in May 2025.

“There is a global movement for inclusive growth and development of traditional and complementary medicines. The world is realizing and recognizing the importance of traditional health practices and their contributions to overall global health,” said Professor Motlalepula Matsabisa of South Africa, a pharmacologist with research interests in the pharmacology of traditional medicines and medicinal plants and co-chair of the Steering Committee.

He adds: “The establishment of the WHO Steering Committee for the second WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit has come at an opportune moment. This committee of global experts in health, health policy and traditional medicines will help steer the Global Summit to support the practical implementation of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, to ensure meaningful impact for all.”

The scope of the WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit External Advisory Group covers:

• advising on technical review criteria and thematic coherence across the Summit, based on strength of evidence and data, research methodologies, global relevance, potential impact, and other considerations;
• advising on the development of scientific publications on issues addressed at the Summit; and
• developing a report for WHO on key lessons and priority actions following the Summit.