SYLLABUS
GS 2 : Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health; Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests; Important International institutions, agencies and fora – their structure, mandate.
Context: Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India jointly organised the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine.
More on the News
- The Summit was held from 17 to 19 December 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
- Theme of the Summit – “Restoring balance: The science and practice of health and well-being”.
- The summit aims to advance a global movement to restore balance for people and the planet, grounded in the science and practice of Traditional Medicine.
- The summit is guided by the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034.
- The Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 was adopted in May 2025 at the 78th World Health Assembly.
- The summit witnessed intensive deliberations among global leaders, policymakers, scientists, practitioners, Indigenous knowledge holders and civil society representatives on advancing equitable, sustainable and evidence-driven health systems.
- The Delhi Declaration on Traditional Medicine, adopted at the conclusion of the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, represents a global commitment by WHO member states to integrate traditional, complementary and integrative medicine into national health systems.
- The Prime Minister (PM) of India released the WHO technical report on training in Yoga and the Book “From Roots to Global Reach: 11 Years of Transformation in Ayush”.
- The PM also highlighted the launch of the Traditional Medicine Global Library as an international platform aimed at preserving scientific data and policy documents related to traditional medicine in one place.
- The PM also released a commemorative postal stamp on Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), symbolising the global resonance of India’s traditional medicinal heritage.
Key Developments in India’s Traditional Medicine
- India continues to expand international cooperation in the field of traditional medicine through education, research, and capacity building.
- The country provides 104 scholarships to foreign nationals, holds 26 MoUs, partners with 50+ global institutions, and has 15 Ayush Chairs and 43 Ayush Information Cells worldwide.
- Collaborative research initiatives, including Ashwagandha trials in the United Kingdom, Guduchi studies (Tinospora cordifolia) in Germany, and Ayurveda-based diabetes research in Latvia, are generating a growing body of evidence.
- Leveraging digital platforms such as the Ayush Grid and advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence.
- India is systematically documenting and validating traditional knowledge to address contemporary global health challenges.
- The 1st WHO Global Summit on traditional medicine was organised in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in 2023.
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) was established in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
About WHO
- It was established in 1948 and is a specialised agency of the United Nations.
- The headquarters of the WHO is located in Geneva, Switzerland
- WHO connects nations, partners and people to work collectively on global health priorities.
- It is working with 194 Member Countries across 6 regions.