WHO praises India’s model as global summit backs traditional medicine integration

At the WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, Tedros called for integrated healthcare and highlighted India’s leadership in blending tradition with modern science

PGurus Newsdesk

December 20, 2025

WHO summit highlights future of inclusive healthcare

India’s approach shows tradition and innovation can progress together

World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday stressed the need for an integrated and inclusive approach to healthcare, asserting that traditional knowledge and modern science are complementary, not contradictory.

His remarks came as the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, jointly organised by the WHO and the Government of India, concluded after three days of deliberations involving ministers, scientists, indigenous leaders, and traditional medicine practitioners from over 100 countries.

Addressing the gathering on the final day, Dr Tedros highlighted the growing relevance of traditional medicine in tackling contemporary health challenges, including unequal access to healthcare and rising economic pressures on health systems.

“Traditional medicine can help address many of the threats to the health of our modern world, the growing burden on economic capabilities, and inequitable access to healthcare services,” he said.

India’s model praised

Praising India’s approach, the WHO chief said the country has successfully demonstrated how tradition and innovation can advance together.

“India has shown the world that traditional wisdom and modern science are not inconsistent, but complementary to each other,” Dr Tedros said, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for bringing global attention to this vision.

He reiterated that traditional medicine has a broader role to play in strengthening health systems, particularly in addressing gaps in accessibility and affordability.

Key outcomes of the summit

Outlining the key outcomes of the summit, Dr Tedros said participants reached consensus on several priority areas, including regulatory frameworks and sustainability.

“We have agreed to ensure safety, quality and public trust through common and risk-based regulation,” he said, adding that there was also agreement on safeguarding biodiversity and traditional knowledge while respecting cultural heritage, intellectual property rights, and equitable benefit-sharing.

He further noted that countries agreed to responsibly harness digital technologies and innovation to improve research, data generation, and access to evidence-based traditional medicine.

“There is also consensus on integrating safe and effective traditional medicine into health systems, especially within private healthcare,” he added.

Call for global commitment

Concluding his address, the WHO Director-General called for a collective commitment to shaping the future of global healthcare.

“As we conclude this summit, let us live united by the shared conviction that the future of health must be integrated, inclusive and informed. By restoring balance between people, communities and the planet, we can build healthier societies for generations to come,” Dr Tedros said.

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