WHO Sets 10-Year Research Direction for Traditional Medicine
The World Health Organization (WHO) is placing stronger emphasis on research, evidence and regulation in traditional medicine as part of its 2025–2034 Global Traditional Medicine Strategy. The...
The World Health Organization (WHO) is placing stronger emphasis on research, evidence and regulation in traditional medicine as part of its 2025–2034 Global Traditional Medicine Strategy.
The strategy focuses on strengthening the evidence base for traditional medicine, supporting appropriate regulation, improving safety and exploring how traditional medicine can contribute to health systems. ([World Health Organization][5])
WHO has highlighted the need for more scientific evidence because traditional medicine is widely used around the world, while research funding in the field remains relatively limited.
At the 2026 World Health Assembly, WHO said traditional medicine was being discussed in the context of innovation, equity, sustainability and health-system integration. ([World Health Organization][5])
The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, has been established with a focus on evidence and learning, data and analytics, sustainability and equity, and innovation and technology. ([World Health Organization][6])
India has committed substantial financial support to the centre. WHO says India has committed an estimated US$250 million towards the establishment, infrastructure and operations of the centre, including a 10-year commitment.
The focus on evidence is important because traditional medicine covers a wide range of practices and products. Their safety and effectiveness can vary depending on the treatment, product, dosage and circumstances.
WHO’s approach is therefore not simply about promoting traditional medicine. Its stated strategy includes research, regulation, quality assurance and continuous evaluation. ([World Health Organization
Technology is also becoming part of the discussion. WHO has identified innovation and technology, including digital tools and AI-related applications, as areas relevant to traditional medicine research and development. ([World Health Organization.
For healthcare systems, stronger evidence could help policymakers determine where traditional medicine can be safely incorporated into health services.
For researchers, the strategy creates a framework for investigating traditional practices using scientific methods.
For patients, the emphasis on evidence and safety is particularly important because healthcare decisions should be based on reliable information and appropriate professional guidance.
The coming years could therefore see greater research activity around traditional medicine, alongside efforts to improve standards, data collection and regulatory systems.
![India is facing a complex nutrition challenge, with overweight and obesity increasing while below-normal BMI remains a concern, according to findings from the latest National Family Health Survey, NFHS-6. The findings highlight what researchers and public-health experts describe as a dual burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition and excess weight exist within the same population. A report on the NFHS-6 findings published this week said the decline in below-normal BMI has stalled while overweight and obesity rates continue to rise. ([The Times of India][4]) The development is significant because nutrition problems are no longer limited to one side of the spectrum. Being underweight can be associated with inadequate nutrition and other health challenges, while overweight and obesity are associated with increased risks of several non-communicable diseases. The coexistence of these conditions creates a complicated public-health situation. Changing lifestyles are one factor highlighted in the discussion around rising overweight levels. Increasingly sedentary routines and greater dependence on digital activities can reduce physical activity. At the same time, access to adequate and nutritious food remains uneven across communities. This means India's nutrition challenge cannot be addressed through a single intervention. Public-health strategies need to consider both adequate nutrition and the prevention of unhealthy weight gain. The findings also demonstrate why national health surveys are important. Large-scale surveys help governments and researchers understand how health indicators are changing across populations. For individuals, the figures reinforce the importance of looking beyond weight alone. A person's health is influenced by diet quality, physical activity, sleep, medical conditions and other factors. The dual burden also creates challenges for healthcare systems. Doctors and public-health workers may need to address undernutrition in some populations while simultaneously dealing with increasing rates of overweight and obesity in others. The NFHS-6 findings therefore point towards a more complicated nutrition landscape in India. Instead of treating malnutrition as only a problem of inadequate food, public-health planning increasingly has to account for both nutritional deficiency and excess calorie consumption.](https://xhealth.onextelcommunication.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/ChatGPT-Image-Sep-23-2026-06_37_19-PM-150x150.png "WHO Sets 10-Year Research Direction for Traditional Medicine")
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