for the Region of the Americas was led by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on 11–12 June 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil. Over 60 participants, including government ministers from nine countries, attended the workshop to discuss research and evidence-related challenges in traditional medicine and how to advance its integration into health systems.
Attendees of the Regional consultation on research prioritization in traditional, complementary and integrative medicine in São Paulo, Brazil, discussing issues and priorities in Traditional Medicine.
Photo: © WHO
Global research priorities for traditional medicine
The event formed part of the coordinated WHO global traditional medicine research prioritization exercise, led by WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in collaboration with several WHO technical units, including all WHO regional offices. Despite the wealth of existing evidence on traditional medicine and indigenous health practices, significant challenges remain in fully understanding and integrating this knowledge into mainstream health care. The primary obstacles stem from a fragmented approach to traditional medicine research and a lack of cohesive global guidelines for developing actionable evidence. To overcome these hurdles, WHO is supporting Member States to prioritize research agendas that not only provide strategic direction but also generate reliable evidence for traditional medicine practices and policies.
A global network of prioritization exercises
The consultation for the Region of the Americas was one of a number of prioritization exercises that have taken place over the past year, alongside consultations on the now agreed WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 . Previous workshops include those for WHO South-East Asia Region on 20–22 August 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand; WHO Western Pacific Region , on 28–29 August 2024 in Seoul, Republic of Korea; and WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, on 17–19 September 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Once all regional consultations have been completed, the results will be presented later this year as a robust roadmap at the Second WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit , "Restoring balance: The science and practice of health and well-being", on 2–4 December 2025.
International collaboration and connection
The regional consultation in Brazil also included a visit to the Reference Center for Integrative and Complementary Health Practices in São Paulo by representatives of WHO and PAHO. The aim was to learn about the work carried out by the Municipal Health Department, which will help to inform GTMC's goal to create a Global Traditional Medicine Library – a digital platform of reliable resources on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine, sharing knowledge, research and practices – which will be launched later this year. The platform will facilitate the use of traditional medicine and safeguard knowledge for future generations, as well as preventing its loss due to factors such as modernization, globalization and cultural shifts.
