Billions of people worldwide rely on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) as part of their health care, yet less than 1% of global health research funding is devoted to understanding where these approaches are safe, effective and appropriate. At a time when countries are seeking new solutions to reduce the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – which kill more than 43 million people every year – and accelerate progress towards universal health coverage (UHC), this represents one of the largest evidence gaps in global health.
Addressing this gap, the World Health Organization (WHO) today launched the WHO Global research priorities and agenda for traditional, complementary and integrative medicine 2025–2034 , a landmark roadmap identifying where traditional medicine research can make the greatest contribution to improving health outcomes, addressing NCDs and advancing UHC.
Governments have already committed
At the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, held in New Delhi in December 2025, 27 Member States made formal, time-bound commitments to advance traditional medicine research. The United Republic of Tanzania committed a research budget of up to TSh 10 billion by 2030. Cabo Verde, Malawi, the Federated States of Micronesia and Seychelles each committed to establishing national traditional medicine research centres. India is anchoring a multi-country research consortium, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is launching a national platform for clinical trials.
Unusually for a global health framework, these commitments came before the agenda was published – and shaped it. The priorities set out in the document reflect what governments themselves said they were prepared to act on.
The agenda identifies priority research areas where evidence could have the greatest impact on population health, including stroke, mental health, pain, musculoskeletal disorders, cancer, metabolic diseases and reproductive health, alongside priority populations including older people, children and preventive health.
By setting global priorities for the next decade, the WHO agenda aims to close one of the largest evidence gaps in health care. It seeks to guide investments towards research that can help countries better understand where traditional medicine may contribute to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and person-centred care, while providing policymakers with the evidence needed to regulate services, protect patients and strengthen health systems.
Investing in evidence for better health
Despite its widespread use, traditional medicine remains one of the least researched areas in global health. Beyond the funding gap, researchers in the field represent only 0.43% of the global health research workforce.
For decades, traditional medicine sat outside the evidence systems that guide health policy. Billions of people are already making decisions about it, and governments are making decisions too.
Regulation, coverage and safety
What has been missing is the evidence to inform them. This agenda sets out where that evidence needs to come from," said Dr Geetha Krishnan Gopalakrishna Pillai, Unit Head, Traditional Medicine Research, Data and Innovation, WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre.
The new agenda argues that rigorous research is essential to identify what works, what does not work, what is safe, and what provides value for patients and health systems. It calls for innovative approaches that reflect the real-world complexity of traditional medicine, including the use of real-world evidence, digital health technologies, systems thinking and artificial intelligence.
Better evidence to support safer care and universal health coverage
As countries work towards universal health coverage, many are seeking evidence on how traditional medicine can be integrated safely, effectively and equitably into health systems. WHO Member States have repeatedly called for stronger evidence to support decisions on insurance coverage, regulation, service delivery and workforce development.
The report argues that investing in traditional medicine research is ultimately an investment in universal health coverage. Better evidence can help countries identify effective interventions, avoid ineffective or unsafe practices, improve patient protection and expand access to quality care.
Protecting Indigenous knowledge and addressing emerging challenges
The agenda emphasizes that Indigenous Peoples and traditional knowledge holders must be genuine partners in research. It calls for stronger protections for intellectual property, equitable benefit sharing and respect for cultural integrity.
The report also highlights opportunities for traditional medicine research to contribute to emerging global challenges, including antimicrobial resistance, pandemic preparedness, healthy ageing, climate change and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. It calls for governance frameworks that enable innovation while protecting traditional knowledge and data sovereignty.
A global effort
The WHO Global research priorities and agenda for traditional, complementary and integrative medicine 2025–2034 was developed through one of the largest traditional medicine research prioritization exercises undertaken to date. The process included analysis of 39 927 research grants across 40 funding schemes, examination of 116 research institutes in 67 countries, consultations with 199 experts from 75 countries, and Delphi surveys involving 235 participants worldwide. The agenda takes forward a core objective of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, ratified by all 194 Member States at the World Health Assembly in May 2025.
The resulting roadmap provides governments, researchers, funders and development partners with a framework for aligning investments and accelerating the generation of evidence where it is needed most. With 27 countries already committed, the test of the next decade will be whether that evidence arrives in time to inform the decisions governments are making now.
