Mapping out a direction: India's G20 presidency propels global promotion of traditional medicine

Abstract

Traditional and complementary medicine has always aided the global population in managing various ailments and its role has been acknowledged by World Health Organization. The G20 is the leading global platform for economic collaboration, influencing international policies across sectors such as agriculture, culture, the digital economy, education, employment, finance, and health to guide resilient global strategies. This study highlights conversations within the health working group of the Sherpa track, focusing in particular on traditional medicines and their diverse intersecting aspects. The information was collected from publications by G20 Indian presidency including G20 communications, think tanks (T20), press releases, speeches, and policy briefs. Throughout four health working group meetings, two side events organized by the Ministry of Ayush, and three joint health‐finance task force meetings, key topics discussed included digital health, Universal Health Coverage, Medical Value Travel through wellness tourism, a One‐Health approach, primary healthcare, Yoga, biodiversity, access and benefit sharing of natural resources, and scientific evidence—all of which were connected to traditional medicines. Unlike past G20 presidencies, the Indian G20 presidency recognize the importance of traditional medicines, marking renewed cooperation in this area. The “Gujrat Declaration 2023” must act as a guiding beacon for crafting robust policies concerning traditional medicines on a global scale. The Ministry of Ayush has excelled in advancing traditional medicine systems across all its sectors through well‐organized and intellectually enriching discussions. Upcoming G20 presidencies should build on the discussions about traditional medicine initiated by the Indian presidency and elevate them to new heights. Considering traditional medicine's unique logic, principals, validity, and largescale patient dependency, efforts should be made to form a dedicated sub‐working group within the health working group to delve deeper into the subject.