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.
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.
