By Monica Kayombo, Zambia,Lusaka,
AS millions of people turn to traditional medicine to manage chronic illnesses, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for more investment in research to establish what works, what is safe and what should be integrated into formal healthcare systems. In a statement released on Thursday from Geneva, WHO said traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) is already widely used globally, including in the management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), yet less than one percent of global health research funding is directed towards the field. The warning comes at a time when NCDs are claiming more than 43 million lives every year globally, placing increasing pressure on health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
The link between traditional medicine and NCDs is particularly significant. According to WHO’s Third Global Survey on TCIM, 76 percent of responding countries reported that management of NCDs was the main reason people seek traditional, complementary and integrative medicine. The survey, which received responses from 96 countries on this question, further found that almost 90 percent of traditional medicine practitioners operate in the private sector. The figures point to a reality that health systems can no longer afford to ignore: traditional medicine is already part of the healthcare choices of people living with chronic diseases.
But the widespread use of traditional medicine has not been matched by a comparable investment in research. WHO says researchers working in traditional medicine account for only 0.43 percent of the global health research workforce, highlighting the significant gap between the scale of use and the resources devoted to generating evidence.
This evidence gap matters because NCD patients often require treatment and monitoring over many years. A person living with hypertension or diabetes, for example, may take prescribed medicines while also using herbal or other traditional preparations recommended by a traditional practitioner, relative or friend. Without adequate information, patients may not know whether a product is effective, whether the dosage is appropriate or whether it could interact with conventional medicines. WHO’s Global Traditional Medicine Centre has identified inadequate scientific evidence on the safety and effectiveness of traditional medicine products and practices as one of the major barriers to their safe integration into health systems.
WHO’s new Global Research Priorities and Agenda for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine 2025–2034 seeks to address this challenge. The organisation says stronger evidence can help countries make informed decisions on insurance coverage, regulation, service delivery and workforce development. Better evidence can also help governments identify effective interventions, avoid ineffective or unsafe practices, improve patient protection and expand access to quality healthcare, making investment in traditional medicine research an important component of efforts towards universal health coverage.
The scale of the exercise behind the new research agenda is significant. WHO analysed 39,927 research grants across 40 funding schemes, examined 116 research institutes in 67 countries, consulted 199 experts from 75 countries and conducted Delphi surveys involving 235 participants worldwide. The resulting roadmap identifies research priorities including stroke, mental health, pain, musculoskeletal disorders, cancer, metabolic diseases and reproductive health, as well as research involving priority populations such as children and older people.
The agenda builds on the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, which was ratified by all 194 WHO Member States at the World Health Assembly in May 2025. WHO says 27 countries have already made commitments to advance traditional medicine research. Tanzania, for instance, has committed up to 10 billion Tanzanian shillings by 2030 for research, while Cabo Verde, Malawi, Micronesia and Seychelles have committed to establishing national traditional medicine research centres.
For Zambia, the issue is particularly relevant given the country’s growing NCD burden. WHO estimates that NCDs account for nearly 30 percent of deaths in Zambia. The country is also strengthening its evidence base through the 2026 WHO STEPS survey, involving approximately 5,762 adults aged 18 to 69 across all 10 provinces. The survey is examining major NCD risk factors, including tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and unhealthy diets, while also measuring blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, weight and waist circumference.
But as Zambia gathers data on NCD risk factors, another area deserves attention: the extent to which people living with chronic diseases are using traditional medicines. How many patients with hypertension, diabetes or other NCDs are using herbal preparations? What products are they taking? Who recommends them? Are they being used alongside prescribed medicines? And what evidence exists about their safety and effectiveness? These are questions that cannot be answered through assumptions or anecdotal reports. They require research.
WHO is also urging countries to ensure that Indigenous Peoples and traditional knowledge holders are genuine partners in research, with stronger protection of intellectual property, equitable benefit sharing and respect for cultural integrity. The organisation says research into traditional medicine could also contribute to tackling emerging challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, pandemic preparedness, healthy ageing, climate change and the responsible use of artificial intelligence.
The development places an important responsibility on the media. With traditional medicine already being used by millions of people, journalists have a role in helping communities separate traditional knowledge, personal experience, commercial claims and scientifically established evidence. Health reporting should challenge unsupported claims that particular remedies can cure hypertension, diabetes or cancer, while also avoiding blanket claims that all traditional medicine is harmful. Instead, journalists should ask the evidence-based questions: Has the product been tested? Is it regulated? What are its possible side effects? Could it interact with conventional medicines? What do researchers and health authorities say?
As NCDs continue to claim millions of lives and traditional medicine remains part of how communities seek care, WHO’s latest research agenda sends a clear message. Traditional medicine is already part of the health reality. The urgent task is to ensure that the evidence catches up with its use — and that patients and communities have accurate information to make informed health decisions.
