Traditional Medicine in Wellness Trends Last Verified: 2026-06-10 | Author: Kateule Sydney | Published by E-cyclopedia Resources Turmeric and ginger — two golden roots named 2026's top herbs for their healing properties Summary: Traditional medicine is experiencing unprecedented global growth, with 88% of people worldwide relying on traditional and complementary medicine for primary healthcare. The global herbal medicine market is valued at USD 195.6 billion in 2025 and projected to reach USD 508.9 billion by 2034. At the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) in May 2026, traditional medicine was highlighted as a critical lever for global health transformation, with WHO emphasizing that 90% of countries report traditional medicine use by 40-90% of their populations. Table of Contents Chapter 1 — Global Policy Shift: WHO and Traditional Medicine Chapter 2 — Market Trends and Consumer Drivers Chapter 3 — Ancestr...
Traditional Medicine in Wellness Trends
Last Verified: 2026-06-10 | Author: Kateule Sydney | Published by E-cyclopedia Resources
Turmeric and ginger — two golden roots named 2026's top herbs for their healing properties
Summary: Traditional medicine is experiencing unprecedented global growth, with 88% of people worldwide relying on traditional and complementary medicine for primary healthcare. The global herbal medicine market is valued at USD 195.6 billion in 2025 and projected to reach USD 508.9 billion by 2034. At the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) in May 2026, traditional medicine was highlighted as a critical lever for global health transformation, with WHO emphasizing that 90% of countries report traditional medicine use by 40-90% of their populations.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 — Global Policy Shift: WHO and Traditional Medicine
1.1 WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034
In May 2025, the World Health Assembly adopted the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034, a ten-year framework guiding global traditional medicine integration. The strategy envisions universal access to safe, effective and people-centred traditional, complementary and integrative medicine for the health and well-being of all. It is built on nine guiding principles including evidence-based decision-making, holism and health, sustainability and One Health, Indigenous Peoples' rights, and health equity. The strategy's four strategic objectives focus on establishing the evidence base, supporting regulatory mechanisms, integrating TCIM into health systems, and optimizing cross-sector collaboration.
Key strategic objectives of the 2025-2034 framework include:
- Strategic Objective 1: Optimize the cross-sector value of TCIM and empower communities through inclusive approaches
- Strategic Objective 2: Strengthen the evidence base for TCIM through increased research allocation
- Strategic Objective 3: Support provision of quality and safe TCIM through appropriate regulatory mechanisms
- Strategic Objective 4: Integrate TCIM into health systems to support achievement of Universal Health Coverage
- Cross-cutting priorities: AI integration, biodiversity protection, and Indigenous knowledge preservation
1.2 WHA79: Traditional Medicine as Global Health Priority
At the 79th World Health Assembly in May 2026, traditional medicine was highlighted as a critical lever for global health transformation. WHO's Dr Shyama Kuruvilla noted that with 90% of countries reporting traditional medicine use by 40-90% of their populations, this is not a niche but potentially the world's predominant healthcare system. However, less than one per cent of global health research funding currently goes to traditional medicine. WHO's Chief Scientist Dr Sylvie Briand emphasized that the goal is not simply to preserve traditional medicine but to responsibly advance its contribution to better health while leveraging new technologies including AI.
Key announcements from WHA79 traditional medicine events:
- Three flagship events focused on financing and innovation, biodiversity protection, and youth leadership
- WHO Global Traditional Medicine Library officially launched as shared platform for evidence and traditional knowledge
- Delhi Declaration adopted at Second WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit (December 2025)
- Traditional Medicine Strategic and Technical Advisory Group established for independent expert guidance
- AI integration prioritized for TM research with emphasis on data governance and Indigenous rights protection
Chapter 2 — Market Trends and Consumer Drivers
2.1 Herbal Medicine Market Growth Projections
The global herbal medicine market is valued at USD 195.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.2% to reach USD 508.9 billion by 2034. The complementary and alternative medicine market is even larger, estimated at USD 222.62 billion in 2025 and projected to reach USD 1.43 trillion by 2033, growing at 26.4% CAGR. This growth is driven by increasing consumer inclination toward natural and plant-based healthcare solutions, rising awareness of adverse effects from synthetic drugs, and government initiatives to boost traditional and complementary medicine integration.
Market segmentation and regional trends:
- Herbal remedies include extracts, powders, capsules, and teas derived from medicinal plants for prevention and treatment
- Biggest markets: USA leads, followed by Europe, Australia, and Canada
- Over 25% of prescription medications in the USA contain active ingredients derived from plants
- Surge in demand for organic and clean-label products aligning with consumer health trends
- Industry projected to reach USD 437 billion by 2032 according to Fortune Business Insights
2.2 Consumer Adoption and Healthcare Integration
Approximately 88% of people worldwide rely on traditional and complementary medicine for their primary healthcare needs. Many pharmacies in developed countries now offer plant-based over-the-counter medications. In sub-Saharan Africa, prevalence rates of herbal medicine use reach up to 90% in some countries including Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Ghana, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Sudan. The medical conditions for which traditional medicines are used primarily concern priority diseases in Africa: malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
Factors driving high adoption rates include:
- Inadequacy of access to conventional healthcare due to infrastructure and human resource shortages
- Limited financial and geographical accessibility to essential pharmaceutical products
- Deep cultural roots of traditional medicine practices across African societies
- Perception that natural remedies are safer and more affordable than allopathic treatments
- Integration successes: Brazil's National Policy supports 29 modalities at primary care level
Chapter 3 — Ancestral Healing and Cultural Resurgence
3.1 The Return to Ancestral Healing Practices
Ancestral and ritual-based healing is experiencing a significant comeback in wellness trends, driven by a desire to slow down and reconnect in meaningful ways. These practices include Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbal remedies, breathwork, energy-based therapies, meditation, and structured daily rituals linked to food, sleep, and movement. Psychologists note that the move away from optimized wellness is being driven by unsustainable performance pressure from workplaces and homes, with high-performance wellness practices feeling like another item on an already overwhelming to-do list.
Why ancestral healing resonates with modern consumers:
- Offers rest and ability to reconnect with self and community in meaningful ways
- Practices emphasizing balance, rest, and routine provide predictability, groundedness, calm, and safety
- Crowded health system: People no longer feel supported by fast, symptom-focused approaches to health
- These systems speak to rhythm, balance, and connection to body, nature, and something greater than self
- Provide sense of connectedness and identity missing in digital and technology-driven experiences
3.2 Indigenous Knowledge and Planetary Health
At WHA79, traditional medicine was positioned as essential to addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. WHO consultants emphasized that without biodiversity there would be no medicinal plants, and concurrent pressures on ecosystems mean precious species relied upon for both traditional medicine and biomedicine discovery are being lost. Indigenous Peoples were acknowledged as the most important stewards of biodiversity globally, with a WHO Framework on Respectful Engagement with Indigenous Peoples being developed as a product of co-creation.
Key themes from TM and biodiversity discussions:
- Medicinal plants described as "clinics of the forest" with potency threatened by climate change
- True restoration of resilient ecosystems requires highly complex web of biodiversity including medicinal plants
- Indigenous Peoples recognized as primary biodiversity stewards and knowledge holders
- Delhi Declaration commits to protecting traditional medical knowledge and biodiversity linkages
- Youth leadership highlighted in advancing equity and culturally grounded health practices
References:
Traditional Medicine and Planetary Health - WHO
Traditional Medicine and Planetary Health - WHO
Chapter 4 — Safety, Regulation, and Adulteration Risks
4.1 The Adulteration Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa
A 2025 study published in Frontiers in Medicine highlights a critical public health threat: adulteration of herbal medicines with erectile dysfunction pharmaceuticals in sub-Saharan Africa. Surveys indicate age-adjusted erectile dysfunction prevalence of 25.4% in Ethiopia, 57.4% in Nigeria, and 63.6% in Egypt, exceeding 70% among African diabetic patients. This creates a significant market for adulterated "100% natural" aphrodisiac products containing undeclared phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors like sildenafil and tadalafil at abnormally high doses. In September 2024, Côte d'Ivoire's pharmaceutical regulator suspended eight such products after quality control revealed tadalafil in products labeled "100% natural."
Key adulteration concerns identified in the 2025 study:
- Fatal erectile dysfunction, serious cardiac side effects, renal or hepatic failure, acute poisoning risks
- Weak regulatory systems and pharmacovigilance mechanisms in sub-Saharan African countries
- Nigeria ED drugs market generated USD 4.2 million revenue in 2024, projected USD 7.4 million by 2030
- Social stigma around ED drives consumers to accessible, affordable "natural" alternatives
- Estimated 500,000+ people die annually in sub-Saharan Africa from dangerous unregulated medicines
4.2 Regulatory Challenges and Pharmacovigilance Gaps
A 2025 review of herbal medicine safety in low- and middle-income countries found that while the WHO estimates more than 80% of populations in resource-limited countries rely on traditional medicine, pharmacovigilance systems rarely include herbal products. Adverse event reporting rates for herbal medicines range from 0.03% to 29.84% depending on reporter source, with a median pooled estimate of 1.42% of users experiencing adverse events. Key challenges include lack of clear definitions, absence of standardization for products and practices, and the complexity of multi-component herbal preparations that resist conventional analysis methods.
Regulatory gaps requiring urgent attention:
- Only 0.6% of VigiBase (WHO global database) reports involve herbal medicines
- Herbal medicines often categorized as nutritional supplements not subject to mandatory regulatory approval in many countries
- Example: Curcumin supplements linked to gastrointestinal issues, rare liver toxicity, drug interactions - unlike turmeric consumed as food
- Pakistan: DRAP has enlisted approximately 72,000 products since 2014 but pharmacovigilance for herbal products remains limited
- WHO guidelines on herbal medicine safety monitoring exist but implementation varies widely
Chapter 5 — The Evidence Gap and Research Priorities
5.1 Research Funding and Evidence Challenges
Despite widespread use, less than one per cent of global health research funding goes to traditional medicine. The WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 prioritizes establishing the evidence base as a core strategic objective. Researchers face substantial challenges including the complexity of multi-component herbal preparations, lack of standardized outcome measures, and the need for appropriate research methodologies that respect traditional knowledge systems. Professor Motlalepula Matsabisa's laboratory at the University of the Free State has been studying Phela, a traditional Sotho/Tswana restorative remedy, with preliminary trials showing immunomodulatory and antiviral properties including inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication by over 90% at low concentrations.
Research priorities identified in WHO strategy:
- Establish international research agenda focusing on rigorous, high-impact TCIM studies
- Develop agreements on key outcome measures for traditional medicine research
- Explore innovative approaches including complexity science, systems biology, and real-world data
- Support capacity-building for research in low- and middle-income countries
- Promote participatory research approaches involving traditional practitioners in co-design
5.2 AI, Technology, and the Future of Traditional Medicine
Artificial intelligence was highlighted throughout WHA79 as transformative for traditional medicine research and integration. Leaders emphasized that AI can help address complex challenges of evaluating multi-component herbal preparations, authenticating raw botanical products, and optimizing safe use. However, building robust data and governance systems was emphasized as essential for leveraging AI's potential while mitigating risks, particularly regarding protection of traditional knowledge, biodiversity, and Indigenous Peoples' rights. The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Library was launched as a shared platform for scientific evidence, policy resources, and traditional knowledge.
Technology priorities for traditional medicine advancement:
- AI applications for chemical characterization and authentication of botanical products
- DNA analysis and mass spectrometry methods for quality control
- WHO International Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Registry for global research coordination
- Digital technologies to enhance TCIM health services, access to care, and self-care
- Electronic health records inclusive of TCIM-related information for comprehensive healthcare
References:
AI and Traditional Medicine at WHA79 - WHO
AI and Traditional Medicine at WHA79 - WHO
5.3 Free Download: Traditional Medicine Safety Checklist
Use this checklist to evaluate traditional medicine products and discuss safety with your healthcare provider before use.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE SAFETY CHECKLIST
BEFORE PURCHASING:
⬜ Does product list all ingredients with botanical/scientific names?
⬜ Is there a clear dosage recommendation?
⬜ Does labeling disclose active compound content?
⬜ Is there a batch number and expiry date?
⬜ Has product been registered with national regulatory authority?
DISCUSS WITH CLINICIAN/PHARMACIST IF:
⬜ Taking prescription medications (especially blood thinners, diabetes meds, antidepressants)
⬜ Pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy
⬜ Scheduled for surgery (discontinue 2 weeks prior if on blood thinners)
⬜ Have liver or kidney disease
⬜ Have cardiovascular conditions
RED FLAGS TO AVOID:
⬜ Products claiming "100% natural" with dramatic effect claims
⬜ Missing manufacturer information or regulatory approval numbers
⬜ Products sold only on informal markets without quality control
⬜ Aphrodisiac products - high risk of adulteration with pharmaceuticals
BEFORE PURCHASING:
⬜ Does product list all ingredients with botanical/scientific names?
⬜ Is there a clear dosage recommendation?
⬜ Does labeling disclose active compound content?
⬜ Is there a batch number and expiry date?
⬜ Has product been registered with national regulatory authority?
DISCUSS WITH CLINICIAN/PHARMACIST IF:
⬜ Taking prescription medications (especially blood thinners, diabetes meds, antidepressants)
⬜ Pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy
⬜ Scheduled for surgery (discontinue 2 weeks prior if on blood thinners)
⬜ Have liver or kidney disease
⬜ Have cardiovascular conditions
RED FLAGS TO AVOID:
⬜ Products claiming "100% natural" with dramatic effect claims
⬜ Missing manufacturer information or regulatory approval numbers
⬜ Products sold only on informal markets without quality control
⬜ Aphrodisiac products - high risk of adulteration with pharmaceuticals
FAQ
What percentage of the global population uses traditional medicine?
Approximately 88% of people worldwide rely on traditional and complementary medicine for their primary healthcare needs. At the 79th World Health Assembly, WHO noted that 90% of countries report traditional medicine use by 40-90% of their populations, describing traditional medicine as potentially "the world's predominant healthcare system, either by primary access or preferred choice." In sub-Saharan Africa specifically, prevalence rates reach up to 90% in countries including Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Ghana, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Sudan.
Is traditional medicine safe? What are the main risks?
Traditional medicines can be safe when used appropriately, but significant risks exist. A systematic review found adverse event reporting rates for herbal medicines range from 0.03% to 29.84% of users. Major risks include herb-drug interactions (particularly concerning when 71.7% of herb users take them alongside prescription medications), adulteration with undeclared pharmaceuticals (a critical crisis in sub-Saharan Africa), heavy metal or microbial contamination, and lack of standardized dosing. Products labeled "100% natural" may still contain potent active compounds that interact with medications or cause toxicity.
What is the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034?
Adopted in May 2025, the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 is a ten-year global framework guiding traditional medicine integration. Its vision is universal access to safe, effective and people-centred traditional, complementary and integrative medicine. Four strategic objectives focus on: establishing the evidence base through increased research allocation; supporting regulatory mechanisms for products, practices and practitioners; integrating TCIM into health systems; and optimizing cross-sector collaboration including biodiversity protection, Indigenous rights, and AI integration.
What is the Delhi Declaration on Traditional Medicine?
The Delhi Declaration was adopted at the Second WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit in December 2025, bringing together over 100 countries. The declaration commits nations to accelerating implementation of the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 across priority areas: building evidence systems through increased investment and diverse research; strengthening regulation and pharmacovigilance for safety and quality; integrating validated traditional medicine into national health systems; and advancing cross-sector collaboration through enhanced data, international cooperation, and Indigenous community leadership.
References
Healing the Future: Traditional Medicine at WHA79 - World Health Organization
WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 Draft - World Health Organization
Delhi Declaration on Traditional Medicine - United Nations Geneva
Herbal Medicine Market Outlook 2025-2034 - Research and Markets
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market Report 2026-2033 - Research and Markets
Herbal Medicine Adulteration in Sub-Saharan Africa - NIH/PMC (2025)
Herbal Medicine Safety and Pharmacovigilance in LMICs - NIH/PMC (2025)
Integrating Traditional Medicines into Health Systems - WHO Bulletin (2025)
Why Ancestral Healing is Making a Comeback - The Citizen (2026)
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