The World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 concluded in Beijing on 18 October with several initiatives aimed at strengthening international cooperation in traditional medicine. Key outcomes included the adoption of the Beijing Initiative on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Traditional Medicinal Plant Resources, the promotion of the New-Era Shennong Herbal Project and the release of a report on artificial intelligence in traditional medicine. The event also marked the establishment of the Global Alliance for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (GATIM) to encourage international scientific collaboration.
Co-hosted by Chinese government authorities and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), the two-day conference brought together nearly 2,000 participants from 103 countries and areas, including 16 ministerial-level health officials. Discussions focused on integrating traditional medicine into health systems, strengthening scientific evidence, improving drug regulation and exploring the use of artificial intelligence. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasised that traditional knowledge and modern science should be brought together through research, innovation, regulation and quality assurance.
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Addressing the Conference participants via a video message, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said, “This is not a choice between tradition and science. It is about bringing knowledge systems together through research, innovation, regulation and quality assurance. We need stronger evidence on what works, for whom, and under what conditions.”
Held under the theme Technology Empowerment and Integrated Development: Advancing Traditional Medicine for All, the conference featured ministerial discussions, a government forum and eight parallel forums. These sessions addressed the four objectives of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025โ2034: strengthening evidence, ensuring safety through regulation, integrating traditional and complementary medicine into health systems, and advancing its value through cross-sector collaboration.
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H.E. Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the Peopleโs Republic of China, addressed the opening ceremony, emphasizing the critical role of traditional medicine as a unique force in safeguarding human health and advancing civilization. “Traditional medicine has followed a distinctive path of development through long-term practice,” Li stated. He called on the international community to strengthen cooperation, make better use of global traditional medicine resources, and jointly address challenges to human health.
The conference highlighted the growing international focus on developing traditional medicine through scientific research, technology and stronger regulatory frameworks. WHO officials called for practical action to support safe and evidence-based integration, ensuring traditional medicine contributes to global health and well-being while addressing the needs of people and the planet.
