Traditional Medicine Moves Towards System Integration Amid WHO Evidence Agenda

By Jennete Ugo Anya

Traditional medicine researchers and public health experts are calling for the structured integration of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) into health systems, following the adoption of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034.

The issue was examined at the World Congress on Public Health in Cape Town, South Africa, during a session titled “Traditional Medicine and Public Health: Preparing for System-Wide Change.”

DEVELOPMENT:

Dr Geetha Pillai of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre said stronger evidence would be essential to ensure the safe use, effective regulation and eventual integration of traditional medicine into health systems.

Pillai noted that traditional medicine is already a public health reality for billions of people, with most WHO Member States reporting its use. However, she said the scale of utilisation has not been matched by research investment.

Prof. Amie Steel, Professor of Public Health at the Australian Research Consortium in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Southern Cross University, presented findings from the WHO global traditional medicine research priority-setting exercise.

The exercise identified research priorities including mental health, stroke, pain management, musculoskeletal conditions, cancer, metabolic disorders and reproductive health, alongside cross-cutting issues such as climate resilience, antimicrobial resistance and artificial intelligence governance.

Prof. Ossy Kasilo, a Tanzanian pharmacist, clinical pharmacologist and global health policy expert, focused on regulation, calling for stronger quality assurance, pharmacovigilance and collaboration between traditional health practitioners and conventional health systems.

Dr Hiba Boujnah, Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional, Integrative and Preventive Medicine at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, stressed the importance of partnerships spanning health, education, culture, environment and research.

DATA:

The WHO discussion identified traditional medicine as being used by billions of people globally, while most WHO Member States report some level of utilisation.

The research-priority exercise identified seven major health areas and three cross-cutting priorities requiring stronger evidence and investment.

SIGNIFICANCE:

The debate moves traditional medicine beyond cultural recognition towards questions of evidence, regulation, quality control and health-system integration.

For policymakers and health investors, formal integration could create opportunities for research, product development, practitioner training and pharmacovigilance, while also creating obligations around safety and efficacy.

NEXT MOVE:

Implementation of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 will be critical. Attention should focus on national regulatory frameworks, research funding, clinical evidence, practitioner standards and mechanisms for monitoring adverse effects.

OUR LENS:

The emerging policy direction is not simply about replacing conventional medicine with traditional medicine. It is about determining where traditional and complementary practices can contribute safely within evidence-informed health systems.

The central challenge is converting widespread public use into a framework governed by evidence, quality standards and accountability. Boujnah’s emphasis on cross-sector collaboration reinforces the broader requirement: traditional medicine policy will need to connect health with research, education, culture and environmental considerations if integration is to become system-wide.

Jennete Ugo Anya is a journalist and researcher with interests across Nigeria’s economy, public policy, business, development and strategic communications.