India-led traditional medicine group at WHO grows to 36, weighs global trust mark

The World Health Organization has reported that the Group of Friends of Traditional Medicine, an informal group of member states chaired by India, has grown to 36 countries and is discussing a possible global "trust mark" for traditional medicine and well-being products. In an update published on Friday, October 16, 2026, WHO said the group's eighth meeting, held in Geneva on September 23, welcomed Egypt, Kazakhstan, Nepal and Suriname as new members. The meeting, chaired by India's Ambassador Arindam Bagchi, focused on putting WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 into practice, and included a session on Ayurveda with officials from India, Mauritius, Nepal and Suriname.

Traditional medicine is used by very large numbers of people around the world, but the products sold under its name vary enormously in quality. Herbal remedies can be contaminated, mislabelled or harvested in ways that damage plant populations. A trust mark, if it is ever created, would aim to give buyers a simple sign that a product meets agreed standards on where its ingredients come from, whether it is safe and whether it was produced sustainably. That is the kind of assurance Ayurveda and other systems need if they are to win acceptance in markets with strict health regulators.

For India, the group is an important diplomatic tool. India set it up in 2023 and chairs it, and has used it to push traditional medicine, including Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha and Unani, onto the agenda at WHO in Geneva. Egypt and Kazakhstan widen the group's reach into north Africa and central Asia. The Ayurveda session, with Mauritius, Nepal and Suriname alongside India, shows the countries where the system already has a footing beyond India.

The WHO strategy the group is working on sets the framework for traditional medicine for the decade to 2034. The trust mark idea sits within that work as one possible way to turn principles into something consumers can see on a label.

There are good reasons for caution. A trust mark would need agreed standards, testing and a body to award and police it, none of which yet exists. Critics of traditional medicine also point out that evidence for many remedies remains limited; a mark on sourcing and safety would not by itself show that a product works. For now, the proposal is a signal of direction rather than a decision.

Short-term: The group will continue discussions on a cooperation platform and the possible trust mark. India's role as chair keeps traditional medicine on the agenda in Geneva.

Long-term: If a trust mark is created, Ayurvedic and other traditional products that qualify could find it easier to reach regulated markets abroad, and consumers could have a clearer guide to safety and sourcing. Exporters, growers of medicinal plants and manufacturers in India would be among those most affected.

Who is affected: Ayurveda and Ayush manufacturers and exporters; growers and collectors of medicinal plants; consumers of herbal and traditional products worldwide; health regulators; and the governments of member states, including India, Nepal, Mauritius and Suriname.

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