The 3rd World Congress on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) took place from October 15 to 18, 2025, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This significant event, marking the 20th International Congress on TCIM Research and the 17th European Congress on Integrative Medicine, coincided with the release of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034. This strategy was adopted during the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly in May 2025, aiming to strengthen global public health through the integration of traditional medicine.
The congress commenced with a statement from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). His message emphasized the increasing role of traditional medicine in enhancing health equity and resilience worldwide. He highlighted the WHO’s commitment to this initiative through the newly established Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC), which seeks to merge ancient wisdom with modern science. The GTMC’s goals include advancing research, innovation, and data standards within the field.
Dr. Ghebreyesus also announced the upcoming second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, scheduled for December 17 to 19, 2025, in New Delhi. This summit aims to introduce new tools that will assist countries in translating evidence into actionable policy.
On October 17, Dr. Shyama Kuruvilla, Acting Director of the GTMC, presented a pre-recorded video outlining the four key objectives of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy. These objectives focus on strengthening the evidence base for traditional medicine, ensuring quality and safety through regulation, facilitating integration into health systems, and fostering collaborations and partnerships.
A key panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Sangyoung Ahn, WHO Technical Officer, explored the development of the forthcoming WHO Traditional Medicine Global Library. Dr. João Paulo Souza, Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information (BIREME), provided insights into how this library will serve as a comprehensive digital repository. It will integrate over 1.5 million records, including evidence maps, journal articles, and multimedia collections, facilitating research and implementation of effective and safe traditional medicine policies.
During the congress, Dr. Ahn delivered a keynote presentation detailing findings from the Third WHO Global Survey on TCIM. This survey revealed that approximately 40 to 90% of populations in participating member states utilize traditional medicine in some form. Notably, 76% of countries reported that the primary motivation for seeking TCIM is the management of noncommunicable diseases, with nearly 90% of TCIM practitioners operating in the private sector.
Despite its significance in supporting global health, the congress highlighted ongoing challenges. Many member states noted a lack of sufficient research data and limited funding for traditional medicine. Currently, only around 1% of global health research funding is dedicated to this area, and concerns persist regarding the absence of regulatory mechanisms for TCIM practices, providers, and products.
Dr. Ahn reaffirmed WHO’s dedication to aiding member states in implementing the strategy at the national level. This includes developing indicators to monitor progress effectively. The forthcoming second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in December will further explore scientific developments in traditional medicine, advance the implementation of the Global Strategy, and unveil new pledges and innovations aimed at improving health outcomes worldwide.
The congress served as a vital platform for collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, reinforcing the importance of traditional medicine in achieving comprehensive health solutions on a global scale.
