Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi called for accelerated global action to restore balance in health and well-being at the closing ceremony of the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi. He underscored the role of traditional medicine in prevention, holistic care and addressing lifestyle and chronic diseases.
Highlighting India’s leadership, Modi referred to the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar as a hub for research, regulation and global collaboration. He stressed that wider acceptance of traditional medicine must be driven by scientific validation, strong regulatory frameworks and digital innovation, and announced the launch of the Traditional Medicine Global Library to enable equitable global access to scientific and policy resources.
The Prime Minister highlighted India’s efforts to ensure safety, quality and evidence-based use of traditional medicines, citing Ashwagandha as an example of a traditional remedy gaining global recognition through research. He also emphasised the integration of traditional medicine with modern healthcare, including integrative cancer care and standardised clinical guidelines.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised India’s leadership and welcomed the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, calling it a major step in strengthening the role of traditional medicine in global health systems. Union Health Minister Shri J.P. Nadda highlighted the integration of AYUSH into major medical institutions, while Ayush Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav said the summit marked a shift towards people-centred healthcare.
During the event, Prime Minister Modi and Dr Tedros inaugurated the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office in New Delhi. Modi also visited the Traditional Medicine Discovery Space and presented the Prime Minister’s Awards for Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion and Development of Yoga. He launched the My Ayush Integrated Services Portal, the Ayush Mark quality certification, a commemorative Ashwagandha postal stamp, the WHO technical report on yoga training, and the book- From Roots to Global Reach: 11 Years of Transformation in Ayush.
The summit concluded with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, reaffirming traditional medicine as a shared biocultural heritage and committing countries to strengthen evidence, regulation and integration in line with the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034.
