Geneva, December 12 (QNA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a global digital library on traditional medicine, containing over 1.6 million scientific records, alongside a data network and framework to support indigenous knowledge, biodiversity, and health.

Director of WHO's Global Centre for Traditional Medicine Shiama Korovila said ahead of the Traditional Medicine Summit in India (17–19 December) that 40–90 percent of populations in most WHO member states rely on traditional medicine. She highlighted that it has become a global reality, especially as half of the world's population lacks access to essential health services.

Korovila emphasized that traditional medicine is a preferred, personalized, and holistic approach aligned with cultural and biological aspects, yet it receives less than 1 percent of global health research funding.

The upcoming summit will gather policymakers, practitioners, scientists, and indigenous leaders to discuss implementing WHO's Traditional Medicine Strategy until 2034, aiming to develop evidence-based traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine while providing guidance on regulation and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

WHO's Global Centre for Traditional Medicine was established in 2022 to harness the therapeutic potential of traditional medicine in promoting global health. (QNA)