1주차| 보건,의료 _ 옥채원

[옥채원]

WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the Ministerial Round Table at the Second Global Summit on Traditional Medicine – 19 December 2025

https://www.who.int/news-room/speeches/item/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-ministerial-round-table-at-the-second-global-summit-on-traditional-medicine-19-december-2025

449 words

1. Delhi Commitment : 델리선언

전통·보완·통합의학을 과학적 근거, 안전 규제, 보건의료체계 통합, 데이터 기반 평가를 통해 책임 있게 발전·통합하기로 한 국제적 정책 선언.

Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,

I thank His Excellency Prime Minister Modi and the government of India for their leadership and partnership in traditional medicine.

Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine plays an important role in the lives of millions of people across all regions represented here today.
It is deeply embedded in cultures, communities, and everyday care practices.
And yet, for far too long, it has remained under-utilized in national health strategies and within the global health architecture.

The Delhi Commitment marks an important milestone.
It affirms traditional medicine as a living science, a shared biocultural heritage, and a strategic asset for health and sustainable development.
But commitment alone is not enough.
Our task now is to move from recognition to results.

First, evidence.

Traditional medicine requires scientific rigour.
WHO emphasizes the need to invest in research that respects whole-systems practice, real-world evidence, and Indigenous knowledge, while meeting the highest ethical and methodological standards.
Global research frameworks and knowledge platforms supported by WHO already provide a strong foundation.
What is needed now is sustained national investment, development of a skilled research workforce, and trusted governance, so that evidence strengthens trust, policy, and practice rather than dividing them.

Second, regulation.

Integration without safety undermines trust.
Regulation without respect undermines systems.
WHO calls for coherent, risk-based regulatory frameworks for products, practices, and practitioners, while respecting the diversity of traditional medicine systems and safeguarding Indigenous rights.
This is smart regulation, built on science, ethics, pharmacovigilance, and international cooperation.

Third, health system integration.

Traditional medicine belongs where people first seek care: primary health care.
When safe and effective traditional medicine is responsibly integrated into primary care through education, accreditation, financing, and interprofessional collaboration, it strengthens people-centred care and expands access, particularly in underserved communities.
This is how traditional medicine becomes a driver of universal health coverage, rather than a parallel system.

Fourth, data and accountability.

We cannot manage what we do not measure.
WHO supports the use of standardized and interoperable data systems that allow countries to track use, outcomes, safety, and value, bringing traditional medicine fully into national health intelligence systems.
Data is not about control.
It is about visibility, credibility, and impact.

Excellencies,

Your presence here matters.
But your leadership matters even more.

WHO stands ready to support countries through technical guidance, shared standards, convening power, and transparent accountability.
However, it is implementation at the country level that will ultimately determine success.

As we move forward, let us remain guided by science, anchored in culture, and committed to integrity.
By doing so, we can ensure that traditional medicine contributes meaningfully to stronger health systems, greater equity, and better health outcomes for all.

Thank you.