 was successfully convened on May 9, 2025, at the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) in Geneva){kind=link}
MAY 11: The Sixth Meeting of the Group of Friends of Traditional Medicine (GFTM) was successfully convened on May 9, 2025, at the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) in Geneva. The meeting brought together ambassadors and representatives from several countries who share a common commitment to strengthening the role of traditional medicine in global healthcare systems.
Building on the foundation of the Gujarat Declaration and the success of previous meetings, the session reaffirmed support for major global initiatives, including the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034. It also looked ahead to the Second WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit, which will be held in India from December 2 to 4, 2025.
Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, delivered a keynote address virtually. He emphasized India’s global leadership and ongoing commitment to promoting evidence-based traditional medicine through collaborative, scientific, and inclusive approaches. In his remarks, he underscored the increasing relevance of traditional medicine in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), advancing the One Health approach, and supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He highlighted several Indian initiatives, including the National AYUSH Mission, the establishment of Ayush Arogya Mandirs offering integrated healthcare, and expanded insurance coverage for traditional medicine. Secretary Kotecha also noted the importance of research partnerships with national science bodies such as DBT, DST, ICMR, and CSIR, which are critical to validating and modernizing traditional medicine practices.
A notable highlight of his address was India’s focus on frontier domains such as artificial intelligence, genomics, and bioinformatics in traditional medicine. This was reflected in the recent global technical meeting on AI applications in traditional systems of health, showcasing India’s pioneering efforts to blend traditional knowledge with modern science.
India’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, which hosted the meeting, reaffirmed its dedication to international cooperation in traditional and integrative healthcare. With platforms like GFTM and the visionary leadership of the Ministry of Ayush, India continues to preserve its ancient wellness heritage while helping shape a future of global health that is holistic, equitable, and innovation-driven.
It is noteworthy that GFTM will host a high-level side event during the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) on May 23, 2025, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at UN Palais des Nations, Geneva. Titled “Traditional Medicine: From Traditional Heritage to Frontier Science, for Health for All,” the event will spotlight the global momentum behind integrating Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) into mainstream health systems.