Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) Traditional Medicine Strategy identifies the importance of increased research evidence to support the overarching goals of improved quality, safety and access to traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) globally. Complementing this identified need, the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (in partnership with other WHO divisions) initiated the Traditional Medicine Global  Research Priority Setting project in 2024. This multiphase project has involved wide-ranging stakeholder consultations across all world regions and targeting key stakeholder groups, as well as numerous landscape analyses to understand the context impacting current research activities and the capacity for future research advancements. Through this Symposium, members of the project team will present the context and reason for the Research Priority Setting exercise, and the overall project methodology. Findings from selected project phases will also be shared including: (1) the TCIM funding landscape, (2) TCIM research capacity gaps and opportunities, (3) inclusion of TCIM evidence in decision-making, (4), TCIM research priorities and gaps identified by experts and stakeholders. The team will then present the remaining project timeline and expected implementation of the final report once completed