India Pledges $85 Mn to Support WHO Global Traditional Medicine Center

In 2023, India signed a five-year agreement to support WHO’s Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCI) unit.

India has committed $85 million over a decade (2022–2032) to support the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Traditional Medicine Centre.

This funding will strengthen the evidence base for traditional medicine, providing data and evidence on traditional medicine policies, practices, products, and public use, the WHO announced earlier this week.

The WHO-India donor agreement is part of a broader $250 million investment from India to establish the WHO Global Centre of Traditional Medicine in 2022.

This investment includes financial support for the Center’s work plan, interim premises, and the construction of a new building.

“This support will scale up WHO’s capacities on traditional medicine across technical divisions and regions in the spirit of global collaboration and solidarity,” the WHO noted.

Enhancing Traditional Medicine

Bruce Aylward, assistant director-general of WHO’s Universal Health Coverage and Life Course division, emphasized the potential impact of traditional medicine within national health systems.

He stated, “Traditional medicine, supported within national health systems, can allow healthcare providers to reach those most often left behind. Integration of traditional practice and knowledge is critical to achieving health for all.”

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, secretary of the Ministry of Ayush, highlighted the significance of the donor agreement, saying, “The signing of this donor agreement is a major milestone towards achieving the shared vision for the development of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre at Jamnagar in India.”

Focus Areas

The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Center will serve as a knowledge hub, focusing on five interconnected areas: research and evidence, primary health care and universal health coverage, indigenous knowledge and biodiversity, digital health applications, and the biennial WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit and collaborations.

India’s support for traditional medicine is underscored by various long-standing partnerships with WHO. In 2023, India signed a five-year agreement to support WHO’s Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCI) unit.

This unit develops key benchmark documents, standardized terminologies, and other evidence-informed technical products to enhance the acceptability and credibility of traditional medicine systems.