Members of the Group of Friends for Traditional Medicine met on 25 September in Geneva to discuss priorities for accelerating progress
Permanent Mission of India Geneva
Representatives of WHO Member States, the traditional medicine community and international partners gathered at the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva on 23 September 2026 to mark Ayurveda Day 2026, organized in conjunction with the 8th meeting of the Group of Friends of Traditional Medicine. The event provided a platform to explore the contribution of Ayurveda to health and well-being, and to advance dialogue on the future of global cooperation in traditional medicine.
The programme began with the meeting of the Group of Friends, chaired by Indian Ambassador Arindam Bagchi. New members Egypt, Kazakhstan, Nepal and Suriname were welcomed to the group, joining 32 other Member States. During the meeting, representatives raised key ideas and issues to advance the implementation of the Global Strategy on Traditional Medicine 2025–2034, adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2025. Members shared national experiences related to strengthening legal frameworks and reducing barriers to the export of traditional medicine products; protecting intellectual property rights and the sacred knowledge of Indigenous and local communities; and examples of how medical tourism and national centres of excellence related to traditional medicine are being supported by cross-ministerial collaboration. The Group of Friends concluded by expressing their support for WHO’s continued focus on traditional medicine following the election of a new WHO Director-General in 2027.
During the meeting, Thai Ambassador Usana Berananda set out her country’s vision for leading the 3rd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in November 2027, accepting the baton from the Government of India, host of the 2nd Summit in 2025: “We will host the next Summit in a spirit of continuity. Traditional Medicine carries the wisdom of the past, and the promise of the future. For Thailand, this is not just a vision but an experience we have lived. Our vision can be captured in three words: wisdom, well-being and wealth. The third Summit will help us take the next step from recognition and commitment to implementation.”
In the spirit of innovation, Dr Shyama Kuruvilla, Director a.i. of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, introduced an emerging initiative for discussion, called Living Well. The initiative envisages a conceptual multisectoral action framework to support country-led efforts to promote health and well-being through collaboration across sectors, including health, environment, agriculture, education, science, technology, trade, finance, tourism and Indigenous affairs. A multistakeholder cooperation platform is also proposed to help translate this framework into action and address shared priorities, including the potential development of a global trust mark aimed at promoting responsible sourcing, safety and sustainability in well-being products and services through independent verification.
The 23 September programme closed with a panel discussion on “Ayurveda and its contribution to the global traditional medicine agenda”, moderated by Dr Pradeep Dua of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre. Senior officials from India, Mauritius, Nepal and Suriname discussed experiences in their countries in advancing Ayurveda through research, evidence generation, innovation, integration into health systems, and the promotion of health and well-being. The session also explored how traditional medicine knowledge and practices can contribute to broader efforts to strengthen health systems and support healthy lives and well-being.