Harness AI, genomics to unlock potential of traditional medicine: WHO director general

New Delhi, Dec 17 (PTI) World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday stressed the need to harness artificial intelligence and genomics to unlock the full potential of traditional medicine to deliver safer and more sustainable healthcare solutions.

Addressing the WHO’s Second Global Summit on Traditional Medicine here, Tedros said combining modern science with traditional wisdom could transform the application of traditional medicine and advance the goal of health for all.

The summit, jointly organised with the Government of India, opened on Wednesday and has brought together ministers, scientists, indigenous leaders and practitioners from more than 100 countries.

The event is expected to announce new scientific initiatives and commitments to advance the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034, which focuses on stronger evidence, better regulation, systems integration, collaboration and community engagement.

Traditional medicine encompasses codified and non-codified systems that predate biomedicine and continue to evolve for contemporary use, the WHO said in a statement.

According to the global health body, nearly 90 per cent of WHO member states report that between 40 and 90 per cent of their populations use traditional medicine, which remains a primary source of accessible and affordable healthcare for many communities.

"The WHO is committed to uniting the wisdom of millennia with the power of modern science and technology to realise the vision of health for all," Tedros said.

He said that by engaging responsibly, ethically, and equitably, and by harnessing innovation from artificial intelligence (AI) to genomics, we can unlock the potential of traditional medicine to deliver safer, smarter, and more sustainable health solutions for every community and for the planet.

The WHO said that amid mounting pressure on global health systems, nearly 4.6 billion people lack access to essential health services, while over two billion face financial hardship in accessing healthcare.

Integrating traditional medicine into health systems can expand access to affordable, people-centred care and help advance universal health coverage, it said, adding that emerging evidence shows such integration can improve health outcomes and cost efficiencies.

WHO Chief Scientist Dr Sylvie Briand said effective integration requires robust scientific evaluation, global standards for quality and safety, and strong regulatory mechanisms.

"We need to apply the same scientific rigour to the assessment and validation of biomedicine and traditional medicines, while respecting biodiversity, cultural specificities and ethical principles," Briand said.

She further said stronger collaborations and frontier technologies such as AI, genomics, systems biology, neurosciences and advanced data analytics, can transform how traditional medicine is studied and applied.

Less than one per cent of global health research funding is currently devoted to traditional medicine, despite its widespread use, the WHO said.

To bridge research gaps, the WHO announced the launch of the Traditional Medicine Global Library, featuring more than 1.6 million scientific records on research, policies and regulations.

Developed in response to calls by Heads of State during G20 and BRICS meetings in 2023, the initiative aims to support evidence-based use of traditional medicine and ensure equitable access to knowledge, particularly for lower-income countries.

It also supports countries in documenting traditional medicine with intellectual property protections and in building scientific capacity to drive innovation.

"Advancing traditional medicine is an evidence-based, ethical and environmental imperative," Dr Shyama Kuruvilla, Director of WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Centre, said.

The summit, being held from December 17 to 19, is also expected to announce new commitments from governments and stakeholders and issue a call for a global consortium to accelerate implementation of the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy. PTI PLB OZ OZ