The approval of the new Global Strategy for Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) 2025-2034 by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May 2024 represents a turning point for global health. More than just a document, the initiative establishes a clear roadmap for the next decade, seeking to align ancient practices with the pillars of science and safety.
This strategic move finds its first major stage for debate at the 3rd World Congress on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (3rd WCTCIM), which will address the implementation of the document in health systems.
Strategy to Guide TCIM in the Next Decade
The new WHO roadmap is structured around an ambitious vision: a world with universal access to safe and effective TCIM, based on four objectives: strengthening the evidence base; supporting the regulation of products and practices; effective integration into health systems; and optimizing the intersectoral value of TCIM to promote healthy societies.
Furthermore, the document reinforces respect for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, recognizing their medicines and the need to protect their knowledge and the principles of Sustainability and Biodiversity in Person-Centered Care.
3rd WCTCIM: The Meeting Point for Strategy Implementation
In this context, the 3rd WCTCIM emerges as the main forum for the global community to debate the implementation of the newly launched Global TCIM Strategy. Scheduled for October 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, the event becomes the meeting point for researchers, managers, and professionals who will transform the WHO’s guidelines into concrete actions. The congress’s motto itself—“Strengthening Global Public Health through TCIM: Diversity of Knowledge | Healthy Societies | Planetary Health”—directly reflects the holistic and intersectoral vision proposed by the WHO.
The partnership between the WHO and the 3rd WCTCIM further strengthens this alignment. The collaboration extends to other crucial initiatives for advancing the field, such as the development of the Traditional Medicine Global Library (TMGL), which aims to centralize scientific evidence, and support for the Global TCIM Alliance. The congress, therefore, is not an isolated event but a key piece in the global ecosystem that the WHO is fostering to qualify and integrate these practices.
The synergy between the strategy and the congress becomes even clearer when analyzing its thematic axes. The WHO’s objectives are not just topics for debate but the very structure that guides the program. The 3rd WCTCIM agenda includes discussions on how to integrate TCIM into health systems, debates on evidence-informed contributions to public health, and explorations of the relationship between planetary health and well-being, materializing the document’s guidelines in practice.
Thematic Axes of the 3rd WCTCIM:
- Axis 1: Diversity in the Spectrum of Global TCIM Modalities: From codified traditions to indigenous wisdom.
- Axis 2: Integration of TCIM into Health Systems: Uniting traditions and modern care in primary, hospital, and public health.
- Axis 3: Evidence-Informed Contributions of TCIM to Global Public Health: Grounding wisdom in research in areas such as mental health, oncology, and chronic pain.
- Axis 4: TCIM Throughout the Life Cycle: Holistic care from pediatrics to palliative care.
- Axis 5: Education, Training, and Capacity Building in TCIM: Empowering future integrative health professionals.
- Axis 6: Planetary Health, One Health, and Healthy Societies: Synergizing human, animal, and environmental health.
Impact of the Approval at the World Health Assembly
The adoption of the strategy at the 77th World Health Assembly generated extensive debate in the scientific community and specialized media. Discussions highlighted both the initiative’s potential to expand access to health and the tensions regarding the need for rigorous scientific validation. To deepen understanding, the following documents and analyses are recommended:
- Official WHO Document: Draft global traditional medicine strategy 2025–2034 (A78/4 Add.1)
- The Lancet Analysis: WHA adopts new strategy on traditional medicine
- Official WHO News: WHO Member States adopt new global strategy on traditional medicine
- PAHO/WHO News: PAHO/WHO holds regional consultation to prioritize research in traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine
The approval of the Global TCIM Strategy provides the framework, while the global community has the task of building the path forward. The debate on how to balance tradition and science, ensure indigenous participation, and overcome political polarization is just beginning. The 3rd WCTCIM is the ideal arena to continue this fundamental discussion and actively contribute to building the future of integrative health.
Be part of this movement. Register and submit your work to the 3rd WCTCIM.
- Final Deadline for Abstract Submission: July 15, 2025.
