Traditional medicine: The World Health Organization has opened a major global conference on traditional medicine in New Delhi, pitching new technologies, including artificial intelligence, as a way to apply stronger scientific checks to healing practices that have been used for centuries.
Over three days, delegates will discuss how governments can regulate traditional medicine and how modern research tools can help identify which remedies are safe and effective. WHO leaders say the aim is to bring evidence-based traditional care closer to mainstream health systems, without ignoring risks.
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In a video message released ahead of the event, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said traditional medicine “is not a thing of the past,” pointing to growing demand across countries and cultures. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a long-time supporter of yoga and other traditional health practices, said the summit would step up efforts to harness the field’s potential. India has also backed the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, launched in 2022 in Gujarat.
Shyama Kurvilla, who heads the centre, said reliance on traditional remedies is widespread worldwide, citing estimates that large shares of populations in most WHO member states use them. She added that in many places, especially where access to essential health services is limited, traditional medicine may be the closest or only care option for millions.
WHO defines traditional medicine as accumulated knowledge, skills and practices used to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat illness. But the agency also acknowledges long-running concerns: many treatments lack strong clinical evidence, and conservationists have warned that demand for certain products can fuel illegal trade in endangered wildlife. Kurvilla said WHO’s role is to help countries ensure traditional medicine meets standards of safety and evidence, and is integrated fairly into health systems.
Officials also pointed to the overlap between nature and modern drug development. Kurvilla noted that a significant portion of pharmaceuticals trace back to natural sources, citing examples such as aspirin’s link to willow bark, contraceptive drugs developed from plant roots, and cancer treatments derived from the Madagascar periwinkle. WHO has also highlighted artemisinin, a breakthrough anti-malaria drug, as drawing from ancient Chinese medical texts.
Alongside policy discussions, WHO plans to launch what it describes as the world’s largest digital repository of research on traditional medicine: a library of 1.6 million scientific records meant to strengthen evidence and improve information-sharing. WHO Chief Scientist Dr Sylvie Briand said AI could help screen huge numbers of compounds, map complex herbal structures, and assess potential drug interactions, all aimed at maximising benefits while reducing adverse effects. She added that advanced imaging, including brain scans, is also helping researchers understand how practices such as meditation and acupuncture may affect the body.
