In Jamnagar, a coastal city in the Indian state of Gujarat, billions of dollars' worth of knowledge about healing is getting a major boost. The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre — a hub where scientists, healers, and policymakers work together to understand and strengthen traditional medicine — has just received an $85 million vote of confidence from the Government of India.
At a ceremony in Geneva, India signed an agreement committing $85 million over ten years, from 2022 to 2032, to support the centre's work. This money is part of a larger $250 million investment India has made to help the centre open and grow since 2022.
Why does this matter? Traditional medicine — things like Ayurveda, acupuncture, herbal remedies, and Indigenous healing practices — is used by billions of people around the world. But many of these practices haven't been studied using the same tools that Western medicine uses. This funding will help change that by collecting solid data on how traditional medicine works, what policies support it, and how people actually use it.
"Traditional medicine, supported within national health systems, can allow us to reach those most often left behind," said Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior WHO official. He called India's commitment "opportune" — arriving at exactly the right moment.
The centre, led by Dr. Shyama Kuruvilla, focuses on five key areas: building research evidence, expanding primary health care, protecting Indigenous knowledge and biodiversity, developing digital health tools, and hosting a global summit every two years. The first such summit happened in Gujarat in August 2023, producing something called the Gujarat Declaration — a roadmap for cooperation. The next summit is planned for November 2025.
Ambassador Arindam Bagchi, India's representative to the UN in Geneva, said his country sees this work as a way to serve all of humanity. "India remains committed to supporting WHO in its work to strengthen traditional medicine systems globally for achieving universal health coverage," he said.
The funding will also help WHO's broader effort to weave traditional medicine into national health systems safely and effectively — making sure more people, especially those without easy access to hospitals, can benefit from treatments that have been practiced for centuries.