WHO global research priorities and agenda for traditional, complementary and integrative medicine 2025–2034

Overview

Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) is used by billions of people worldwide, yet receives less than 1% of global health research funding. Research priorities have not been consistently aligned with the evidence needs of policy-makers, health systems and communities, limiting the evidence available to inform regulation, safety, service delivery and financing.

Developed through a global research priority-setting process involving evidence and research landscape analyses and extensive stakeholder consultation across all six WHO regions, this report identifies where TCIM research can deliver the greatest public health and health system benefit. It defines priority clinical conditions, populations and cross-sectoral issues and sets out the drivers needed to translate evidence into policy and practice. Taking forward a core objective of the Global traditional medicine strategy 2025–2034, the agenda provides Member States, funders and researchers with a framework to guide research priorities and investment towards the safe, effective and equitable integration of TCIM into health systems.