Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reaffirmed its commitment to integrating traditional medicine into global public health systems at the 3rd World Congress on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) held from 15–18 October 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In a message delivered on behalf of WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Thursday, the organisation highlighted the growing role of traditional medicine in improving health equity and resilience. “WHO is bridging ancient wisdom and modern science through innovation, standards, and data,” the statement said.
Acting Director of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC), Dr Shyama Kuruvilla, outlined the Strategy’s four objectives—strengthening evidence, ensuring quality through regulation, enabling integration into health systems, and fostering collaboration.
A key highlight was the announcement of the upcoming WHO Traditional Medicine Global Library, described by WHO’s Dr João Paulo Souza as “the world’s most comprehensive digital repository for TCIM knowledge.”
The congress also previewed the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, scheduled for December 2025 in New Delhi, where new tools, pledges, and innovations will be unveiled.
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Oluwafunbi Bello 
Korede Abdullah 
Hussaini Ibrahim 
Otamere Gladness