Traditional Medicine Takes Centre Stage at World Health Summit 2025 in Berlin

For the first time in its history, the World Health Summit 2025 in Berlin placed traditional medicine at the forefront of its global health agenda, marking a pivotal moment for the field's integration into mainstream health systems. Two dedicated sessions—one panel and one workshop—highlighted the growing recognition of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine as a vital component of people-centred and sustainable healthcare.

The discussions, held on 12 and 13 October, focused on translating the World Health Organization's Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 from vision into practical national policies, and on identifying pathways for integrating traditional and modern healthcare models. The sessions drew health ministers, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from across the world, underscoring the shared belief that traditional medicine represents an untapped global asset for equity, resilience, and holistic well-being.

From Global Vision to National Action

The first event, titled "Operationalizing the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy: From Global Vision to National Action," was opened by Abderrazak Bouzouita, Director General of Tunisia's Ministry of Health. He set the tone by stressing that traditional medicine is not a relic of the past but a bridge between science, culture, and community.

"The world is calling for more inclusive, preventive and sustainable models of health care," said Bouzouita. "Traditional medicine provides that missing dimension. It brings people, culture and nature back into the heart of the healing process."

He highlighted Tunisia's ongoing reforms, including the launch of the country's first National Centre for Traditional Medicine and preparations for the Africa-China Traditional Medicine Forum, both aimed at positioning Tunisia as a regional leader in the field.

A Collaborative Approach to Health Innovation

Dr. Shyama Kuruvilla, Acting Director of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, emphasized that collaboration—between governments, researchers, and local communities—is essential for advancing the integration of traditional medicine.

"Traditional medicine is a global good for each and every one of us, not something in the past," she said. "We all have a role to play in making health systems inclusive of trusted and evidence-informed traditional practices."

Dr. Kuruvilla also previewed the upcoming WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, to be held 17–19 December 2025 in New Delhi, India, where countries and stakeholders will share experiences and shape the next phase of global cooperation.

She cited a striking gap in research funding: despite widespread reliance on traditional medicine worldwide, only 1% of global health research funding currently supports it. "This is a gap that needs to be bridged," she said, urging more investment in clinical trials, standardization, and documentation of traditional knowledge.

Lessons from National Experiences

The panel highlighted examples of how traditional and modern medicine are being successfully integrated into national health systems.

• Germany: Dr. Anja Thronicke, Senior Medical Affairs Manager at the Research Institute Havelhöhe, explained that integrative medicine—combining conventional oncology with complementary therapies—has been used in German cancer care for over 30 years. Her institute has published more than 50 peer-reviewed studies on patient-centred treatment models.

  "Our work shows that integrative therapies can improve quality of life, but success depends on collaboration and evidence-based practice," she said.

• South Africa: Professor Motlalepula Matsabisa, Co-Chair of the WHO Summit Steering Committee and Director of the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Health Programme at the University of the Free State, described how South Africa is bridging indigenous and biomedical sciences.

  "Communities are our living laboratories," he said. "We cannot exist without the communities that supply and share their knowledge."

• Egypt: In a video address, Dr. Nessma El-Nabawy, General Manager of Egypt's General Administration for Registration of Herbal Products, shared that Egypt has regulated traditional medicine since 1955, applying the same standards as conventional pharmaceuticals. However, she stressed the need for expanded scientific validation and harmonized standards to ensure sustainability.

• Canada: Dr. Nicole Redvers, Director of Indigenous Planetary Health at Western University, emphasized that Indigenous medicine is evidence-informed through centuries of practice and rooted in spiritual and ecological wisdom.

  "These traditions teach us about our relationship to ourselves and to everything around us," she said.

Catalysing Collaboration and Building Trust

Panel moderator Dr. Hiba Boujnah, Head of International Cooperation and Partnerships at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, summed up the discussions by emphasizing the importance of trust and cultural respect in advancing traditional medicine.

"Traditional medicine is about being in harmony with everything that's around us," she said. "We must promote it to the place it deserves and remove the veil of doubt or shame that still surrounds it."

The speakers agreed that countries must move from policy development to implementation, aligning traditional medicine with global standards while respecting its cultural diversity.

Integrative Medicine in Practice

The following day, the workshop on "Integrative Medicine in Global Health: Pathways for Implementation" brought together experts including Dr. Kuruvilla, Prof. Matsabisa, Dr. Amie Steel (Australia), and Dr. Sanghamitra Pati (India).

Discussions focused on practical models for system integration, identifying priorities such as:

• Building national frameworks for regulation and quality assurance.

• Encouraging cross-sector collaboration between biomedical researchers, traditional healers, and policymakers.

• Establishing educational programmes to train healthcare professionals in integrative approaches.

• Promoting inclusive research funding and global knowledge-sharing platforms.

Dr. Kuruvilla outlined the four strategic objectives of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, which include:

1. Strengthening evidence, research, and data systems.

2. Integrating traditional medicine into national health services.

3. Promoting equitable access and safe use.

4. Fostering global partnerships for innovation.

"The conceptual framework for integration is now being mapped out," she noted. "The upcoming Global Summit in India will be an important milestone in taking these strategies forward."

Towards a Balanced, People-Centred Health Future

The inclusion of traditional medicine in the World Health Summit agenda reflects a global shift towards inclusive and holistic health systems that combine the strengths of both modern and traditional knowledge.

The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 envisions a world where validated, regulated, and equitable use of traditional medicine enhances universal health coverage, supports community resilience, and respects biodiversity and cultural heritage.

"The dialogue is no longer about whether traditional medicine has a place," said Professor Matsabisa. "It's about how we ensure it takes its rightful place — alongside modern science — in improving health for all."

As preparations build for the WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi, the message from Berlin is clear: traditional medicine is not a relic of history, but a living, evolving science of healing, rooted in culture and community, and essential to the future of global health.