In a landmark move coinciding with the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, the World Health Organization (WHO) unveiled its first-ever Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) Dashboards on 21 May 2025. The new digital platform transforms previously static survey results into a real-time, interactive data hub that empowers Member States, researchers and health professionals to monitor TCIM policies, regulations and service integration at both global and national levels.
Background: From Static Surveys to Dynamic Monitoring
The WHO’s TCIM Dashboards build directly on the Third WHO Global Survey on TCIM, conducted between April 2023 and March 2024. That survey—sent to all 194 WHO Member States—collected detailed information on national TCIM strategies, regulatory frameworks, practitioner training, research activities and levels of integration into primary health-care systems. While the first and second global surveys (in 2017 and 2019) provided valuable snapshots, they remained static documents requiring periodic manual updates.
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The Dashboard represents a strategic pivot in WHO’s data modernization agenda: rather than waiting years between surveys, Member States can now continuously update and manage their own TCIM data. The interactive platform thus delivers up-to-the-minute profiles of each country’s TCIM landscape alongside aggregated global indicators.
Key Features: Two Tailored Data Views
Upon logging in, users can select between two distinct views:
Default View
• Aggregated Insights Presents the most recent data from all three global TCIM surveys, enabling longitudinal comparisons and trend analyses across 2017–2025.
• Global Heatmaps Visualizes regional variations in TCIM policy adoption, practitioner density and research investment.
• Policy Tracker Charts progress on national TCIM policy development, from initial draft to full integration into health-system governance.
Third Global Survey Only
• Latest Survey Focus Filters the Dashboard to display exclusively data collected during the April 2023–March 2024 cycle.
• Country Profile Pages Allows in-depth review of each Member State’s most recent TCIM indicators, including regulatory scope, research outputs and service rollout.
• Benchmarking Tools Compares country performance against regional and income-group averages for targeted policymaking.
The WHO Secretariat has emphasized that the toggle feature simplifies user access: stakeholders may either track temporal evolution (Default View) or zero in on the latest developments (Third Survey Only).
Global TCIM Trends: Early Insights from the Dashboard
Although the platform remains open for ongoing data contributions, preliminary analyses have already revealed several noteworthy global patterns:
Widespread Policy Adoption
• 76% of Member States report having a formal national TCIM policy or strategy in place.
• Regional Leaders include the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia, where over 90% of countries have adopted integrative medicine frameworks.
Regulatory Heterogeneity
• Licensure and Certification vary markedly: approximately 60% of countries regulate at least one TCIM practitioner group, but regulation scopes range from general oversight to detailed curricula approval.
• Herbal Product Standards: Only 45% of Member States have legally binding quality standards for herbal medicines, underscoring ongoing challenges in ensuring safety and consistency.
Integration into Primary Health Care
• Service Availability: TCIM therapies—from acupuncture to herbal remedies—are offered in public health facilities in 63% of responding countries, often under pilot-program status.
• Insurance Coverage: Just 28% of nations report partial or full health-fund reimbursement for TCIM services, highlighting financial barriers to broader access.
Research and Evidence Generation
• Growth in Publications: The volume of peer-reviewed TCIM studies has increased by 150% since 2019, with particular growth in randomized controlled trials of traditional therapies.
• Gaps in Clinical Guidelines: Only 22% of countries have developed evidence-based clinical guidelines that integrate TCIM into disease management protocols.
These early findings will guide WHO’s forthcoming policy briefs and global reports, slated for publication later in 2025.
Beneficiaries: Who Stands to Gain from the Dashboards?
Policymakers
Health-ministry officials can monitor peer benchmarks, assess regulatory gaps and measure progress toward national health-system integration goals. The real-time nature of the data enables agile policy adjustments, such as rapid expansion of TCIM training programs or tightening of product-safety standards.
Health-care Providers
Clinicians exploring integrative approaches can identify model countries with strong practitioner-training frameworks and established referral pathways. Hospital administrators may use benchmarking data to justify pilot programs or secure budget allocation for TCIM services.
Researchers
Academics and students can download anonymized data sets for cross-national analyses of TCIM policy impact on health outcomes. The Dashboard’s visualization tools facilitate rapid hypothesis generation, such as correlating reimbursement policies with TCIM utilization rates.
Civil-Society Advocates
Patient-advocacy groups and professional associations gain transparent insights into national regulatory landscapes, strengthening their capacity to lobby for expanded TCIM coverage, practitioner accreditation or funding for clinical research.
Technical Details: Security and Data Governance
To safeguard data integrity and confidentiality, the WHO has implemented multi-layered security measures. Member-State focal points receive role-based access credentials that permit editing of their national entries only; global aggregated data remain publicly viewable without login. All updates are time-stamped and archived to maintain an auditable change trail. The platform adheres to WHO’s Digital Information Security Policy, ensuring compliance with international standards.
Future Enhancements: Roadmap for Continuous Improvement
The WHO Secretariat has outlined a phased development plan:
Phase 1 (May–December 2025)
• User Feedback Integration: Refinement of user interface and data filters based on stakeholder surveys.
• Mobile App Launch: Development of an Android/iOS application to extend field access for rural health officers.
Phase 2 (2026–2027)
• Expanded Indicators: Inclusion of TCIM financing data, workforce demographics and patient-reported outcome measures.
• Interoperability: Linking the TCIM Dashboards with the WHO’s Global Health Observatory and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) databases for seamless data exchange.
Phase 3 (Beyond 2027)
• Predictive Analytics: Incorporation of machine-learning algorithms to forecast TCIM service needs and training gaps.
• Global Community Portal: A collaborative forum for practitioners, researchers and policymakers to share best practices, case studies and clinical guidelines.
Quotes from WHO Leadership
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“The TCIM Dashboards embody our commitment to evidence-based policymaking, transparency and global solidarity. By harnessing digital innovation, we empower every Member State to strengthen health-system resilience and ensure safe, effective integrative care for all.”
Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director for South-East Asia:
“Our region leads in TCIM policy adoption, and these Dashboards will help us track progress toward WHO’s 2030 health-coverage targets. We encourage countries to regularly update their data so we can collectively learn from successful integration models.”
Looking Ahead: Strengthening Integrative Health Systems
As the world grapples with rising noncommunicable diseases, aging populations and health‐care workforce shortages, the role of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine is increasingly recognized as a vital component of universal health coverage. The WHO’s TCIM Dashboards offer an unprecedented tool to chart the global evolution of integrative care, spotlight successful national strategies and mobilize evidence‐driven improvements. By converting static survey results into a living, breathing platform, WHO has laid the digital foundation for faster, more equitable and more transparent TCIM policy development—advancing its mandate to ensure health for all, in all ways.
