Who, India To Host 2nd Global Traditional Medicine Summit

In a major step to strengthen global cooperation on traditional medicine, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to co-host the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine. The summit will be held in New Delhi from 17–19 December 2025.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Ayush and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, along with Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush. Senior officials from both WHO and the Ministry attended the signing ceremony.

The agreement was formalized by Dr Shyama Kuru villa, Director ad interim of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, and Ms Monalisa Das, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Ayush. The signing followed the Sec ond Summit Planning Group Meeting, which reviewed ongoing preparations for the event.

Held under the theme “Restoring balance for people and planet: The science and practice of well-being”, the summit will act as a global platform to support WHO’s Gl bal 8 newly adopted 10-year global strategy on traditional medicine, launched at the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025.

The three-day event will welcome over 500 interna tional delegates in person, with an additional 5000 par ticipants expected to join virtually. A key feature of the summit will be an immersive expo highlighting global innovations and best practices in traditional medicine.

Bringing together experts, policymakers, and stake holders from across the globe, the summit aims to foster dialogue, share evidence-based knowledge, and promote the integration of traditional medicine into national health systems.