Global Research Networking in Traditional and Complementary Medicine: Aligning with the Objectives of the World Health Organization Global Traditional Medicine Center

A bstract Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Traditional Medicine Center (GTMC), established in Jamnagar, India, in 2022, marked a pivotal step toward integrating traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) into global health discourse. The first WHO Traditional Medicine (TM) Global Summit, held in August 2023, convened stakeholders worldwide to deliberate on research priorities, policy alignment, and networking opportunities. Objective: The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), New Delhi, to explore the possibilities of research networking in the field of Ayush, had surveyed the participants of the Global Summit. This study presents perspectives on global research networking in TCM, drawing on insights from a survey conducted among summit participants, and situates these findings within the broader context of evidence generation and international collaboration. Materials and Methods: A structured questionnaire, developed and piloted by the CCRAS, was distributed both online (Google Forms) and offline to all registered Summit participants. Convenience sampling yielded 117 completed responses (96 online and 21 offline). Data cleaning was done to remove spelling and language variations, and the normalized data were subjected to analysis for response patterns. Closed-ended responses were quantitatively coded, whereas open-ended responses underwent thematic coding and normalization to identify patterns and trends. Then, all data were descriptively analyzed using frequency distributions, proportions, and thematic summaries to provide an overview of research interests, organizational representation, and attitudes toward international collaboration in TCM research. Results: The survey included participants from over 70 countries, with the highest representation from Asia ( n = 36), Africa ( n = 29), and South America ( n = 15), and multiple other countries globally, reflecting broad international engagement. Respondents represented government bodies (35%), research institutions/centers (24%), and universities (21%), reflecting wide organizational diversity. Thematic inclinations toward research included clinical trials (29%), medicinal plant research (27%), interdisciplinary studies (31%), and public health (9%). Ayurveda emerged as the most frequently cited area of interest (20%), followed by other Ayush systems and integrative approaches. Overall, participants indicated a strong positive outlook toward international collaboration in TCM research, emphasizing clinical evidence generation, standardized methodologies, and capacity building. Conclusion: The survey, though exploratory and limited in scope, highlights significant global enthusiasm for strengthening collaborative research networks in TCM and reveals an overall positive outlook toward Ayush systems, and also showcases the wide range of areas where work on Ayush systems is being undertaken globally. These findings, in conjunction with the establishment of the GTMC, point toward an evolving framework where traditional knowledge systems can be more systematically integrated into global health through evidence-based approaches. This study advances a perspective on how such networking can support policy, enhance evidence generation, and shape the future trajectory of TCM globally.