India commits US$ 85 million to WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre

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Published: 2026-09-17T08:21:32.243Z • Permanent link

India has committed an additional US$ 85 million to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Centre of Traditional Medicine (GCTM), a move that underscores the growing recognition of traditional medicine's potential to address pressing global health challenges. This new investment brings the total support from India to US$ 250 million, earmarked for the establishment of the GCTM in 2022. The centre, located in Shijiazhuang, China, aims to promote the development, quality control, and regulatory oversight of traditional medicine globally.

Dr. Vardhan Shukla, India's Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, have been instrumental in fostering this partnership. The WHO-India donor agreement is a significant development, marking the first major injection of capital into the GCTM. This investment will support the centre's efforts to strengthen traditional medicine systems, enhance collaboration between countries, and improve the quality of traditional medicine products.

The GCTM's US$ 250 million investment is part of India's broader strategy to strengthen global health governance and promote traditional medicine's role in addressing modern health challenges. The centre's work is closely aligned with India's "Ayushman Bharat" healthcare program, which aims to provide universal health coverage to its citizens. By supporting the GCTM, India is not only promoting its own traditional medicine systems but also contributing to the global effort to improve health outcomes and address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

The WHO-India partnership has significant implications for the global infrastructure of traditional medicine. The GCTM's work will have a direct impact on companies that produce traditional medicine products, research communities that study their efficacy, and markets where these products are sold. The centre's efforts to standardize traditional medicine products and enhance regulatory oversight will also affect companies that manufacture and distribute these products. Moreover, the GCTM's focus on strengthening traditional medicine systems will have a broader impact on healthcare systems worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where traditional medicine plays a significant role in primary healthcare.

The WHO's recognition of traditional medicine's potential to address modern health challenges is also expected to influence policy environments globally. As the global health landscape continues to evolve, traditional medicine is likely to play an increasingly important role in addressing pressing health challenges. The GCTM's work will help shape the global dialogue on traditional medicine's role in healthcare systems and inform policy decisions that will impact the industry.

The WHO-India partnership is part of a broader trend towards increased recognition of traditional medicine's potential to address modern health challenges. The Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) has highlighted the importance of strengthening traditional medicine systems in low- and middle-income countries, while the World Health Assembly's Resolution on Traditional Medicine has recognized its potential to address pressing global health challenges. The GCTM's work is also closely aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.