Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

Context

• India hosted the 2nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi.
  • The theme of the summit is “Restoring Balance for People and Planet: The Science and Practice of Well-Being.”

Key Outcomes of the summit

• Initiatives Launched: 
  • My Ayush Integrated Services Portal (MAISP): A master digital portal for services, research and governance in the Ayush sector.
  • Ayush Mark: Envisioned as a global quality benchmark for Ayush products and services.
  • Traditional Medicine Global Library (TMGL), the world’s largest digital repository on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine.
    • The initiative is grounded in the Gujarat Declaration (2023) and aligned with WHO’s Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034.
• Announcement of international collaborations, including a Centre of Excellence for BIMSTEC countries and an India–Japan partnership in traditional medicine.
• The summit stressed the use of digital health tools and AI for research, data generation and wider access to traditional medicine.

What are Traditional Medicines?

• Traditional medicine refers to codified or non-codified systems for health care and well-being, comprising practices, skills, knowledge and philosophies originating in different historical and cultural contexts, which are distinct from and pre-date biomedicine, evolving with science for current use from an experience-based origin.
  • Traditional medicine emphasizes nature-based remedies and holistic, personalized approaches to restore balance of mind, body and environment.
  • The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
• Traditional Medicine system in India:

Source: TH