Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for accelerated global efforts to restore balance in health and well-being during the closing ceremony of the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Emphasizing India’s leadership in traditional medicine, he highlighted the convergence of ancient wisdom with science and technology to advance holistic, preventive, and people-centred healthcare.
The Prime Minister underscored that traditional medicine must be evidence-based, safe, and globally trusted, citing Ashwagandha as a time-tested herb gaining international recognition through scientific research and validation. He also launched the Traditional Medicine Global Library, a platform aimed at ensuring equitable global access to scientific data and policy resources, and inaugurated the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office building in New Delhi alongside WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Dr. Tedros praised India for transforming traditional medicine from a cultural heritage into mainstream healthcare and recognized the establishment of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar as a historic milestone in global collaboration, research, and capacity building.
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda highlighted India’s integration of AYUSH with modern medicine, while Minister of State (Independent Charge) Prataprao Jadhav emphasized traditional medicine’s role as a central pillar of preventive, holistic, and people-centred healthcare.
During the summit, PM Modi also launched key AYUSH initiatives, including the My Ayush Integrated Services Portal, the Ayush Mark for quality assurance, a commemorative Ashwagandha postal stamp, and the book From Roots to Global Reach: 11 Years of Transformation in Ayush. The Prime Minister presented awards recognizing outstanding contributions to the promotion and development of Yoga globally.
The summit concluded with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, committing Member States to strengthen evidence, regulation, integration, and collaboration in traditional medicine. The event reinforced India’s global leadership and commitment to safe, effective, and equitable healthcare for all.
