São Paulo: The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) hosted a regional consultation on June 11–12, 2025, in São Paulo, Brazil, to set research priorities for traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine in the Americas.
The event brought together over 60 participants, including health ministers from nine countries, to address the fragmented state of research and promote the integration of traditional practices into formal health systems.
This consultation is part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) larger effort, led by the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC), to align global research through a coordinated strategy. Despite abundant traditional knowledge, experts noted a lack of unified evidence frameworks and international guidelines.
WHO aims to support member states in developing strategic, evidence-based research agendas. This consultation follows similar regional workshops held in Bangkok, Seoul, and Riyadh throughout 2024.
The collective findings will inform a global roadmap to be unveiled at the Second WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit in December 2025. During the São Paulo meeting, delegates also visited the city’s Reference Center for Integrative Health Practices to gain insights that will shape the upcoming Global Traditional Medicine Library, a digital platform preserving traditional knowledge for future generations.
