Interview with Dr. Shyama Kuruvilla, Director ad interim of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre

 

Dr. Shyama Kuruvilla is Director ad interim of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar, India. Over the past 11 years at WHO, she has held a range of senior policy and management roles to advance health evidence, equity and access. As Senior Strategic Adviser in WHO’s Universal Health Coverage and Life Course division, Dr Kuruvilla was technical lead for the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, and is the former director of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Independent Accountability Panel on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health. Dr Kuruvilla holds a PhD. from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, an MSc. from Cornell University, and an undergraduate degree from the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India.

Malini Shankar of Digital Discourse Foundation (DDF) in Bangalore engaged with Dr. Kuruvilla for an insightful, expert interview for Biodiversity Day that is marked on 22th May every year by the UN.

Question 1: How has the link between traditional medicine and biodiversity been recognized and framed within the context of global health?

Throughout human history, Indigenous Peoples have lived within and respected nature as a living, interconnected system — where humans, animals, plants, rivers, mountains, and universal energy form an interdependent web of life. This worldview fosters balance, respect, and reciprocity.

Global health advanced through scientific and pharmaceutical breakthroughs structured health systems to deliver care, yet the interdependence between health, biodiversity, and sustainability has often been overlooked. Over 50% of biomedical pharmaceuticals are derived from natural resources, yet considerations of equitable access, benefit-sharing and sustainability have lagged. The 2024 WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge offers a potential game-changer by recognizing the value of Indigenous knowledge and promoting fair use.

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened global awareness of One Health — the inextricable connections between human, animal, and environmental health — and the urgent need for integrated, sustainable approaches.

Traditional medicine (TM) offers a powerful bridge between these world perspectives. Grounded in ancestral knowledge and evolving through centuries of practice and science, TM is based on nature-aligned and culturally resonant solutions. It depends on biodiversity and contributes to an emerging trillion-dollar bioeconomy, which supports healthcare, livelihoods, and innovation, especially through Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

At CBD COP16’s first Health Day in 2024, the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre highlighted TM’s vital role in bridging biodiversity and global health:
https://www.who.int/news/item/07-11-2024-cop16-connects-biodiversity-and-health-with-traditional-medicine-as-a-bridge

Question 2: How does Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) becomes crucial for propagation of medicinal plants conservation areas?

International agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), its Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS), and the 2024 WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Associated Traditional Knowledge form the core global framework for protecting traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity.

Article 8(j) of the CBD calls on Parties to respect, preserve, and maintain traditional knowledge relevant to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. The Nagoya Protocol reinforces this with legally binding obligations for fair and equitable benefit-sharing when genetic resources or associated traditional knowledge are accessed—particularly in health research and innovation. The WIPO Treaty strengthens these efforts by requiring disclosure of the origin of natural resources and supporting transparency of use and respect for traditional knowledge.

At CBD COP16, traditional knowledge was further embedded into the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, especially Target 22, which promotes the full and equitable participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in biodiversity-related decision-making.

These principles are now being advanced within the health sector. The WHO Traditional Medicine Global Strategy 2025–2034, under consideration at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA 78), calls for inclusive, rights-based models for protecting traditional medical knowledge and ensuring fair benefit-sharing.

The landmark Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) proposal for the WHO Pandemic Agreement, also on the WHA 78 agenda, recognizes in paragraph 10 the critical role of traditional knowledge and Indigenous and local communities—including traditional medicine—in strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery through whole-of-society approaches.

The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre supports Member States in implementing these frameworks through science-based, culturally grounded, and equitable approaches that connect health, biodiversity, and sustainable development.

Question 3: What are the biggest challenges in implementing Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) so far.

Implementing Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) frameworks in traditional medicine involves complex legal, institutional, and ethical challenges. A central issue is the recognition and protection of traditional knowledge, which is often orally transmitted, collectively held, and embedded in Indigenous worldviews and customary systems. Translating this knowledge into formal legal and regulatory frameworks—while respecting collective ownership and intergenerational rights—remains a persistent gap.

Administrative capacity constraints, especially in low- and middle-income countries, further complicate implementation, with fragmented oversight across health, environment, and intellectual property sectors. Ensuring free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) and developing mutually agreed terms among diverse communities can be legally intricate and culturally sensitive, particularly where resources or knowledge cross borders.

Emerging challenges such as digital sequence information (DSI) allow genetic data to be accessed without physical samples, often bypassing existing ABS mechanisms. Moreover, the lack of standardized benefit-sharing models erodes trust and limits adoption, especially where enforcement is weak.

The WHO Traditional Medicine Global Strategy 2025–2034 directly addresses these concerns. It calls for inclusive approaches and models for the protection and equitable sharing of benefits arising from traditional medical knowledge and associated genetic resources, informed by international frameworks like the CBD, Nagoya Protocol, WIPO Treaty, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The Strategy promotes community-led, rights-based solutions, cross-sectoral coordination, and ethical engagement—grounding ABS in scientific, cultural, and legal integrity for sustainable innovation and planetary health.

Question 4: What are the success stories of traditional medicine contributing to biodiversity conservation efforts.

Traditional medicine systems are deeply intertwined with biodiversity and play a vital role in its conservation. These practices rely on natural resources—such as medicinal plants, fungi, and marine organisms—and are guided by Indigenous knowledge systems, cultural values, and reciprocal relationships with nature that promote sustainability and ecosystem balance.

Across Africa, traditional healers follow customary harvesting methods and maintain sacred groves as informal conservation areas. In Latin America, Indigenous Peoples uphold biocultural territories and customary laws that ensure sustainable use of medicinal resources while preserving cultural identity and biodiversity.

India’s AYUSH systems integrate conservation through medicinal plant cultivation, herbal gardens, and seed banks. In China, Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasizes cultivated species and ex-situ conservation. Pacific Island communities manage ecosystems through customary tenure systems and seasonal closures that support health and biodiversity.

Documenting and scaling such best practices is essential. A notable example is Health In Harmony, based on radical listening and learning from Indigenous Peoples and local communities from Indonesia to Brazil, and recognized by the UNFCCC. By linking healthcare access to forest conservation, the program achieved a 90% reduction in illegal logging, regenerated 21,000 hectares of forest, at the same time reducing infant mortality by 67%, and decreasing by 55% the number of births per thousand women, highlighting the power of integrated, community-led solutions for biodiversity and health.
https://unfccc.int/climate-action/momentum-for-change/women-for-results/health-in-harmony

Question 5: Has there been any AI initiative in enlisting medicinal plants?

While the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in traditional medicine is expanding globally, ensuring its ethical, equitable, and responsible application — and understanding its impacts on individuals, societies, and the environment — is a fundamental concern for the WHO. With respect to traditional medicine, this is a key area of collaboration between the WHO Digital Health and Innovation Department and the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC).

A forthcoming WHO-ITU-WIPO technical brief on AI in traditional medicine will map ongoing initiatives, including AI applications in diagnosis, drug discovery, and pattern recognition of medicinal plants. These developments reflect the growing role of AI in supporting traditional medicine research, innovation, and accessibility.

The WHO Traditional Medicine Global Library, to be launched in December 2025, will further contribute by preserving and providing equitable access to approximately 2 million records, including scientific articles, national policies, thematic databases, and Member State resources.

To protect traditional knowledge and ensure responsible use, the Library will integrate safeguards for intellectual property rights and mechanisms to prevent unauthorized exploitation. It will also incorporate an AI-powered search tool, supporting informed and ethical decision-making in traditional medicine and biodiversity-based health innovation.

Question 6: Will GTMC be able to endorse traditional medicines to combat drug resistance in battling or treating chronic diseases like diabetes or hypertension or cholesterol or hyperthyroidism /chronic heart disease, etc? TCIM has been effective in battling drug resistance. This has assumed critical significance in India today.

There is increasing scientific interest in the role of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) in addressing chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions, as well as its potential in managing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In particular, TCIM approaches may help reduce over-reliance on conventional drugs, promote preventive health strategies, and contribute to sustainable healthcare practices.

Traditional medicine systems have demonstrated promising potential in these areas through mechanisms like immunomodulation, microbiome regulation, and holistic health models. These approaches align with WHO’s One Health framework, which addresses the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) is advancing research and innovation to support rigorous, evidence-informed integration of traditional medicine into health systems. A major focus is advancing methods for scientific validation of safety and efficacy to support international standards and regulatory decision-making.

This approach is grounded in the new WHO Traditional Medicine Global Strategy, under consideration at the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025. The Strategy affirms that only evidence-based practices—regardless of origin—will be supported by WHO, and calls for the highest scientific standards, ethical rigor, and interdisciplinary methods to ensure safety, effectiveness, and impact in global health.

Question 7: How the Global Traditional Medicine Centre is structured to contribute to biodiversity conservation and future plans in this area of work.

The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) serves as a global knowledge hub linking traditional medicine systems with public health, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development. Its mandate includes advancing evidence, policy, and partnerships to integrate biodiversity-based traditional knowledge into the evolving global health landscape.

Following the first WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in 2023, the Gujarat Declaration emphasized the interdependence of human health, traditional knowledge systems, and biodiversity. It called for the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in governance, research, and benefit-sharing frameworks, recognizing their rights and roles as custodians of nature-based knowledge.

GTMC’s core areas of work include promoting research into medicinal plants and traditional practices, and advancing scientific methods for validating their safety and efficacy. The Centre also supports countries in implementing Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanisms, promotes rights-based approaches, and strengthens the evidence base linking traditional medicine to ecosystem and planetary health.

Looking ahead, GTMC aims to deepen collaboration across health, climate, environment, Indigenous rights, and digital sectors. Plans include launching regional knowledge-sharing platforms, promoting ethical research, and supporting the digital and cultural preservation of traditional knowledge.

This work contributes directly to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and efforts to build resilient, equitable, and ecologically aligned health systems.

Question 8: A short message from Director GTMC, to share on World Biodiversity Day about the importance of preserving traditional medicine and biodiversity .

Biodiversity is not just the source of life-saving medicines — it is the source of life itself for all on our shared planet Earth. On World Biodiversity Day, we honour Indigenous Peoples who have safeguarded nature-based knowledge for generations, the healthcare workers on the frontlines, and the scientists at the frontiers — all working to heal both people and planet.

Traditional medicine is a bridge — connecting ancestral wisdom with modern science, local practices with global health goals, and cultural identity with sustainable development. At the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing evidence-informed traditional medicine, protecting biodiversity, and promoting equity through the respectful inclusion of traditional knowledge systems.

In this critical decade for action, preserving biodiversity and traditional medicine is not just about conservation — it is about restoring balance and building a healthier, more resilient, and harmonious future for all.