India committed US$ 85 million over a ten-year period from 2022 to 2032 to support the programming of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, backing a cross-sectoral effort to strengthen the evidence base for traditional medical policies, practices, and products.
Decoding the Clinical Evidence and Financial Commitment
The donor agreement, signed at a ceremony in Geneva, forms part of a broader US$ 250 million investment from the Government of India toward establishing the WHO Global Centre of Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat. This funding covers the Centre’s workplan, interim premises, and a new building. Part of the contribution will also feed into the WHO Investment Round to resource core operations between 2025 and 2028.
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Worldwide, traditional medicine is used by billions of people for their health and well-being. The ten-year funding aims to provide data and evidence on traditional medicine policies, practice, products, and public use, helping integrate practices into national health systems.
In Plain English: The Clinical Takeaway
- Evidence Base Expansion: The US$ 85 million fund targets data collection to strengthen the evidence base for traditional medicine.
- Universal Health Coverage: Integrating traditional practices into national health systems aims to reach those most often left behind.
- Structured Global Strategy: The investment aligns with upcoming WHO benchmarks, standardized terminologies, and the forthcoming 2025–2034 Global Strategy for Traditional Medicine.
Global Health Integration and Future Milestones
The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre operates as a knowledge hub focusing on five interconnected areas: research and evidence; primary health care and universal health coverage; Indigenous Knowledges and biodiversity; digital health applications; and the biennial WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit and collaborations. The Centre is led by Dr Shyama Kuruvilla, Director a.i.
This initiative builds upon previous collaborations. In 2023, India signed a five-year agreement to support the technical work of the Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCI) unit. The TCI unit is supporting the development of the new WHO traditional medicine global strategy (2025 – 2034) and publishes benchmark documents and standardized terminologies.
Dr Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General of the Universal Health Coverage and Life Course division of WHO, stated that “India’s commitment and leadership in expanding the evidence-based contribution of traditional medicine to the health and well-being of all people and the planet, comes at an opportune moment.” He added, “Traditional medicine, supported within national health systems, can allow us to reach those most often left behind. Integration of traditional practice and knowledge is critical to achieving health for all.”
The first WHO traditional medicine global summit took place in August 2023 in Gujarat, yielding the Gujarat Declaration. A subsequent global summit is scheduled for November 2025, following the anticipated launch of the 2025–2034 Global Strategy at the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025.
| Funding Milestone | Timeline | Allocation Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Establishment Support | 2022 | Centre infrastructure, interim premises, and workplan |
| WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre Contribution | 2022–2032 (US$ 85M) | Cross-sectoral programming, evidence base, and policy data |
| WHO Core Work Support | 2025–2028 | Resource allocation via WHO Investment Round |
