Traditional medicine

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.

WHO definitions of traditional, complementary and herbal medicines.

Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) is used in 170 countries, according to a 2019 WHO report.

Further insight comes from WHO’s third global survey on TCIM. Sixty-seven per cent of respondents reported 40-99% of their populations using TCIM.

These figures highlight the widespread and variable use of TCIM globally, emphasizing the need for clear definitions and consistent data collection to guide effective policy, regulation, and integration within health systems.

For centuries, traditional, indigenous and ancestral knowledge has been an integral resource for health in households and communities, and it continues to form a significant part of health care in many regions. 170 of WHO’s 194 Member States have reported on the use of herbal medicines, acupuncture, yoga, indigenous therapies and other systems of traditional medicine. Many countries recognize traditional medicine as a valuable source of health care and have taken steps to integrate practices, products, and practitioners into their national systems.

Today, traditional medicine has become a global phenomenon; the demand is growing, with patients seeking greater agency and ownership of their health and well-being and seeking more holistic and personalized health care. For millions, especially those living in remote and rural areas, it continues to be the first choice for health and well-being, offering care that is culturally acceptable, available, and affordable.

Yet less than 1% of global health research funding is currently dedicated to traditional medicine. Lack of investment in research undermines efforts to build a robust evidence base.

WHO’s work on traditional medicine is a response to requests from countries for evidence and data to inform policies and practice, global standards, and regulations to ensure safety, quality, and equitable access.

The 2018 Declaration of Astana on primary health care acknowledges the need to include traditional medicine knowledge and technologies in the delivery of primary health care – a cornerstone of health systems – in pursuit of health for all.

WHO recognizes the diversity of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) practices across countries of the world and its contribution to health, well-being, people-centred health care and universal health coverage. Appropriately integrated TCIM can improve health outcomes by increasing the availability of services, especially at the level of primary health care.

Integration of TCIM within national health systems must be done appropriately, effectively, and safely, based on the latest scientific evidence. WHO supports countries that want to embrace traditional medicine practices to do so in a science-based manner to avoid patient harm and ensure safe, effective, and quality health care. An evidence-based approach to traditional medicine, establishing efficacy and safety through rigorous scientific validation, is crucial, even if they have been used for a long period. This not only guarantees that treatment is effective and safe, but provides the rigorous evidence needed for the recommendation of traditional medicine in WHO guidelines.

Non-medicinal therapies (e.g. yoga and acupuncture) provide an additional challenge in that there is clearly wide variability in their practice and performing randomized controlled-clinical trials is extremely difficult if not impossible. Concerted efforts to develop new methodologies that provide credible and robust evidence to recommend their use for specific health conditions are needed.

WHO supports countries in promoting the safe, effective, and people-centred use of TCIM as part of efforts to achieve universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Global Traditional Medicine Strategy: 2025–2034 guides this work, focusing on strengthening quality, safety, appropriate use, and the integration of TCI based on evidence, innovation, and respect for cultural diversity and biodiversity. To further support this work, WHO established the Global Traditional Medicine Centre in India in 2022 as a global hub for knowledge, innovation, and partnerships.

WHO’s TCIM work is structured around four key areas:

• leadership: providing global direction through the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, setting vision and priorities for member States;
• research and data: establishing research priorities, reviews evidence, and uses advanced technologies to generate robust data for evidence-informed decision-making;
• norms, standards, regulation, and integration: developing international standards for terminology, quality, and safety of TCIM products, practices, and practitioners; supports countries in building regulatory systems and integrating TCIM into health systems; and
• partnerships: fostering collaboration with stakeholders to advance TCIM on the global health agenda, mobilize resources, and strengthen political commitment toward shared goals.

Through these areas, WHO helps countries safely and effectively integrate TCIM into health systems, contributing to better health outcomes and more inclusive, culturally responsive care.

In health-care systems, safety outcomes depend on a combination of factors such as practitioner competence, product quality, effective communication, and strong regulatory support. Adverse events, medication errors, or compromised product quality can arise in any field of health care, not because the systems themselves are unsafe, but because safety relies on how care is delivered.

Both traditional medicine and biomedicine have established approaches to promoting safety. When supported by appropriate training, quality assurance, and clear practice frameworks, traditional medicine is usually a safe and trusted source of healing.

As in biomedicine, strengthening patient safety in traditional medicine also involves augmenting the broader health-care environment around it. This may include improving documentation, supporting research, ensuring consistent quality standards, and building regulatory systems that protect both practitioners and patients. By focusing on these enabling factors, traditional medicine can continue to contribute safely and effectively to public health.

Traditional medicine complements biomedicine by delivering holistic, person-centred, and culturally responsive care. It emphasizes prevention and balance – body, mind, and environment – while addressing lifestyle and psychosocial factors often overlooked in conventional treatment. Therapies like acupuncture, herbal medicine, and yoga are increasingly used alongside biomedical interventions to ease pain, reduce side effects, and improve quality of life for chronic conditions.

In many communities, traditional medicine offers trusted, accessible care where biomedical services are limited. Integrating safe, evidence-informed traditional medicine into health systems expands primary health care and strengthens equity, while collaboration between practitioners of biomedicine and TCIM builds trust and coordinated care. Scientific study of traditional medicine can also unlock new therapeutic insights, creating synergy that improves outcomes and delivers truly comprehensive health care.

Many countries have a long and rich heritage of traditional medicines and have integrated it into their national health-care delivery systems to varying degrees. A common challenge is monitoring the safety of traditional medicine products, especially the setting up systems of pharmacovigilance for traditional medicine products.

Given the wide use of traditional medicine worldwide, monitoring its safety is an important and prioritized area of work. WHO encourages countries that do not already have them to establish integrated pharmacovigilance systems for both conventional pharmaceuticals and TCIM products.

Generally speaking, TCIM products and practices are subjected to the same scrutiny (regulation, safety, and quality control) as pharmaceuticals; 124 WHO Member States have passed laws or regulation for herbal medicines. 

To support countries, WHO has published guidelines for the quality, safety, and efficacy of herbal medicine, including:

• WHO guidelines on selection of substances of herbal origin for quality control of herbal medicines
• Quality control methods for herbal materials
• WHO guidelines on assessing quality of herbal medicines with reference to contaminants and residues
• WHO guidelines on good manufacturing practices for herbal medicines
• WHO guidelines on good agricultural and collection practices for medicinal plants

Around 40% of pharmaceutical products today have a natural product basis, and breakthrough drugs derive from traditional medicine. Traditional medicine has contributed to breakthrough medical discoveries and there is a long history of herbal medicine being translated into effective treatments for health conditions.

The discovery of aspirin drew on traditional medicine formulations using the bark of the willow tree; the contraceptive pill was developed from the roots of wild yam plants; and child cancer treatments have been based on the rosy periwinkle. Nobel prize winning research on artemisinin for malaria control started with a review of ancient Chinese medicine texts. The discovery of the smallpox vaccine, which has led to the eradication of the disease, was inspired by ancient inoculation practices by communities around the world.

A remarkable and rapid modernization of the ways traditional medicine is being studied can help realize the potential and promise of traditional medicine and traditional knowledge, for health and well-being. Taking clues from traditional uses, new clinically effective drugs can be identified through research such as ethnopharmacology and reverse pharmacology.

The application of modern technologies in health and medicine can open new frontiers of knowledge on traditional medicine. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game-changer, revolutionizing the study and practice of traditional healing systems. AI’s advanced algorithms and machine learning capabilities can allow researchers to explore extensive traditional medical knowledge, map evidence and identify once elusive trends.