WHO Summit 2025 stresses integrating traditional and modern medicine, with global leaders agreeing on safe regulation, digital innovation, and inclusive healthcare.
WHO Summit: As the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine came to an end on Friday, World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of an inclusive and integrated approach to healthcare, highlighting the complementary nature of science and tradition.
Beginning on Wednesday, the summit—which was jointly organized by the WHO and the Indian government—brought together ministers, scientists, indigenous leaders, and practitioners of traditional medicine from more than 100 nations to talk about the place of traditional medicine in contemporary health systems.
On the last day, the WHO Director-General spoke to the audience and emphasized the value of traditional medicine in tackling today’s health issues.
“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 stated.
Tedros praised India’s strategy, saying the nation has shown how innovation and tradition can coexist and advance.
“India has shown the world that traditional wisdom and modern science are not inconsistent, but complementary to each other,” he stated.
“Traditional medicine can help address many of the threats to the health of our modern world, the growing burden of economic capabilities, and inequitable access to services and healthcare,” he said, reiterating the wider impact of traditional medicine. He also added that “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has helped bring this vision to the world.”
Tedros outlined the summit’s main conclusions, stating that attendees agreed on a number of action items.
“We have decided to use common and risk-based regulation to guarantee public trust, safety, and quality. Additionally, we have committed to protecting biodiversity and traditional knowledge while upholding intellectual property, cultural legacy, and fair sharing,” he stated.
He went on to say, “We have agreed to harness digital technologies and innovation responsibly to improve access to research and data generation, and we have agreed to integrate safe and effective traditional medicine into health systems, especially private healthcare.”
The WHO Director-General concluded his speech by urging everyone to dedicate themselves to the future of global health.
“As we wrap up this summit, let’s remain united by our common belief that health care in the future needs to be inclusive, integrated, and informed. We can create healthier societies for future generations by bringing people, communities, and the environment back into balance,” Tedros stated.