WHO Launches Global Library To Redefine Traditional Medicine
By ANDERSON (ANDY) CLIFF
Reframing an Ancient Practice
THE World Health Organisation has taken a significant step toward redefining the role of traditional medicine by unveiling the Traditional Medicine Global Library, a comprehensive digital platform consolidating scientific research and Indigenous knowledge into a single, accessible system. The move reflects growing recognition of traditional medicine’s role in addressing gaps in global healthcare.
Unveiled at the WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in India, the platform represents an attempt to standardise and validate practices that millions rely on daily but which often operate outside formal health frameworks.
Evidence, Innovation and Oversight
The library’s advanced digital features, including AI-powered research tools, aim to improve transparency and accelerate scientific validation. WHO officials argue that reliable data is essential not only for innovation but also for protecting patients from unsafe or ineffective treatments.
To reinforce oversight, WHO introduced the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, which will advise on regulation, integration and research priorities. Early discussions at the summit highlighted urgent needs such as evidence generation, capacity building and digital preservation of traditional knowledge.
A Strategy with Global Implications
The Delhi Declaration, backed by 26 countries, marks a collective commitment to embed traditional medicine within primary healthcare systems while strengthening safety standards and data systems. Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus described traditional medicine as a tool for tackling modern health challenges, including noncommunicable diseases and inequitable access to care.
As WHO prepares to implement its Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, the success of the initiative will depend on sustained political will, investment and the ability to translate digital ambition into practical health system reform.
