Traditional medicine represents one of the oldest forms of healthcare, rooted in centuries of observation, cultural wisdom, and holistic understanding of health and disease. Systems such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Unani, and various indigenous healing practices evolved independently across civilizations, shaped by geography, philosophy, and social structures. These systems emphasize harmony between the body, mind, and environment, viewing health as a state of balance rather than merely the absence of disease. Core concepts such as vital energy, humoral balance, and individualized constitution form the foundation of traditional medical practice.

Over time, traditional medicine has evolved through oral transmission, classical texts, and experiential learning, adapting to changing societal needs while preserving its core principles. Diagnostic approaches often rely on detailed clinical observation, pulse and tongue examination, lifestyle assessment, and holistic evaluation of the individual. Therapeutic interventions include herbal remedies, dietary regulation, physical therapies, and mind–body practices aimed at restoring balance and supporting the body’s natural healing capacity. In recent decades, there has been growing global interest in integrating traditional medicine with modern healthcare, driven by patient demand for holistic, preventive, and personalized approaches. This session explores the historical foundations, evolution, and contemporary relevance of traditional medicine, highlighting its contributions to global health, challenges in standardization and scientific validation, and its role in integrative and complementary care models.

• Historical origins of major traditional medicine systems
• Holistic concepts of health, balance, and disease
• Diverse diagnostic and therapeutic approaches
• Cultural and philosophical influences on healing practices
• Growing integration with modern and evidence-based medicine

• Preserves valuable medical knowledge and cultural heritage
• Enhances understanding of holistic and preventive healthcare
• Supports integrative approaches to patient-centered care
• Addresses global interest in complementary and traditional medicine
• Provides a foundation for research, policy, and safe clinical integration

Ethnomedicine and indigenous healing systems encompass diverse healthcare practices developed by indigenous and tribal communities through generations of lived experience, cultural traditions, and close interaction with nature. These systems view health as an integrated state of physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being, often emphasizing harmony between individuals, communities, and the environment. Indigenous healing practices are deeply rooted in cultural identity, belief systems, and ecological knowledge, with healing rituals, herbal remedies, and spiritual practices playing central roles in disease prevention and treatment.

Indigenous healers rely on extensive knowledge of local flora, fauna, and natural resources to prepare herbal medicines, poultices, decoctions, and topical applications for a wide range of conditions. Beyond physical ailments, ethnomedicine often addresses emotional distress, social imbalance, and spiritual concerns, reflecting a holistic approach to care. These systems continue to serve as the primary source of healthcare for millions of people worldwide, particularly in remote and underserved regions. This session explores the principles, practices, and cultural significance of ethnomedicine, while examining contemporary challenges such as loss of traditional knowledge, ethical concerns around intellectual property, and the need for respectful documentation. Emphasis is placed on the potential role of indigenous healing systems in integrative medicine, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable healthcare. Participants will gain a deeper appreciation of indigenous medical wisdom and its relevance to modern health systems, research, and culturally sensitive care delivery.

• Rich diversity of indigenous and tribal healing traditions
• Holistic approaches addressing physical, mental, and spiritual health
• Extensive use of locally sourced herbal medicines
• Community-centered and culturally grounded care models
• Ethical considerations and preservation of traditional knowledge

• Preserves endangered indigenous medical knowledge
• Promotes respect for cultural diversity in healthcare
• Supports integrative and holistic health approaches
• Encourages ethical research and knowledge sharing
• Enhances culturally sensitive and community-based care

Integrative and complementary medicine represents a patient-centered approach that combines conventional medical treatments with evidence-based complementary therapies to address the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions of health. Rather than serving as an alternative to modern medicine, integrative healthcare emphasizes collaboration between different healing systems to optimize outcomes, enhance well-being, and improve quality of life. This approach is increasingly adopted in the management of chronic diseases, pain, mental health conditions, cancer survivorship, and preventive care.

Complementary medicine includes a wide range of practices such as herbal medicine, nutritional therapy, acupuncture, yoga, meditation, and lifestyle interventions. When used appropriately and supported by scientific evidence, these therapies can enhance symptom control, reduce treatment-related side effects, and empower patients to take an active role in their health. Integrative medicine also prioritizes the therapeutic relationship, shared decision-making, and individualized care plans tailored to patient needs, values, and cultural backgrounds. This session explores the principles, clinical applications, and safety considerations of integrative and complementary medicine in contemporary healthcare systems. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based integration, interdisciplinary collaboration, and regulatory frameworks that ensure patient safety and quality of care. Participants will gain insights into how integrative medicine bridges traditional wisdom and modern science, supporting a holistic, sustainable, and person-centered model of healthcare delivery.

• Holistic, patient-centered integrative healthcare models
• Evidence-based complementary and alternative therapies
• Mind–body approaches for chronic and lifestyle-related diseases
• Safe integration with conventional medical treatments
• Focus on prevention, wellness, and quality of life

• Addresses growing patient demand for holistic care
• Enhances outcomes in chronic and complex conditions
• Promotes safe, evidence-based use of complementary therapies
• Supports personalized and culturally sensitive healthcare
• Advances a balanced, whole-person approach to modern medicine

Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and other traditional medical systems represent time-tested healthcare traditions that have evolved over centuries through systematic observation, experiential learning, and philosophical inquiry. These systems emphasize a holistic understanding of health, viewing the human body as an integrated unit of physical, mental, and spiritual elements. Concepts such as body constitution, balance of humors or energies, and harmony with nature form the core of diagnosis and treatment. Disease is understood as an imbalance within the body or between the individual and the environment, rather than an isolated pathological event.

Therapeutic approaches in these systems include herbal and herbo-mineral medicines, dietary regulation, lifestyle modification, detoxification procedures, and rejuvenation therapies aimed at restoring balance and strengthening the body’s natural healing capacity. Ayurveda focuses on individualized care based on constitution and digestion, Unani emphasizes humoral balance and temperament, while Siddha integrates medicine with spiritual and alchemical principles. In recent decades, these traditional systems have gained renewed global interest for their role in preventive healthcare, chronic disease management, and wellness promotion. This session explores their foundational principles, clinical applications, and contemporary relevance, while addressing challenges related to scientific validation, safety, standardization, and regulatory oversight. Participants will gain an informed perspective on how traditional medical systems contribute to integrative healthcare models and support patient-centered, culturally rooted approaches to health and healing.

• Core principles of Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha systems
• Holistic views of health, disease, and prevention
• Emphasis on diet, lifestyle, and natural therapies
• Role in chronic disease management and wellness
• Integration with evidence-based modern healthcare

• Preserves and promotes ancient medical knowledge
• Supports holistic and preventive healthcare models
• Enhances understanding of culturally rooted healing systems
• Encourages safe and evidence-based integration
• Contributes to patient-centered and integrative healthcare approaches

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a comprehensive medical system developed over thousands of years, grounded in the principles of balance, harmony, and the dynamic flow of Qi within the body. Health in TCM is understood as a balanced interaction of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, while disease arises from internal or external disruptions to this equilibrium. Diagnostic methods such as pulse diagnosis, tongue examination, and pattern differentiation guide individualized treatment strategies rather than disease-label–based care alone.

In contemporary healthcare, TCM has gained increasing attention due to growing evidence supporting its clinical applications. Acupuncture is among the most extensively studied TCM modalities, with research demonstrating benefits in pain management, postoperative recovery, nausea control, and certain neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. Chinese herbal medicine, when used within regulated and quality-controlled frameworks, shows potential in managing chronic inflammatory disorders, metabolic conditions, and supportive cancer care. Additionally, Tai Chi and Qigong have demonstrated positive effects on balance, cardiovascular health, mental well-being, and fall prevention, particularly in older adults. This session critically examines the scientific evidence, mechanisms of action, safety considerations, and clinical integration of TCM practices. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based application, standardized research methodologies, and collaborative models that combine TCM with conventional medicine. Participants will gain a balanced understanding of how traditional Chinese medicine can contribute to integrative, patient-centered healthcare while meeting modern standards of safety, efficacy, and clinical governance.

• Core principles and diagnostic framework of TCM
• Evidence supporting acupuncture and mind–body therapies
• Clinical applications in pain, chronic disease, and rehabilitation
• Safety, regulation, and quality control of herbal medicine
• Integrative models combining TCM with modern medicine

• Promotes evidence-based understanding of TCM practices
• Supports safe integration into conventional healthcare systems
• Addresses growing global use of acupuncture and herbal medicine
• Enhances holistic and patient-centered treatment options
• Bridges traditional medical knowledge with modern scientific research

Herbal medicine and phytotherapy are among the oldest and most widely used forms of healthcare, relying on medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds to prevent and treat disease. Across cultures and medical traditions, plants have served as primary therapeutic agents, forming the basis for many modern pharmaceuticals. Phytotherapy applies scientific principles to the study and clinical use of plant-derived medicines, focusing on standardized extracts, defined active constituents, and reproducible therapeutic effects. Understanding plant taxonomy, cultivation, harvesting, and processing is essential to ensure consistency, efficacy, and safety of herbal products.

Modern research has advanced knowledge of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and polyphenols, revealing their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and metabolic effects. Herbal medicines are increasingly used in the management of chronic diseases, pain, metabolic disorders, and supportive care, often as complementary therapies alongside conventional treatment. However, variability in plant composition, potential contamination, and herb–drug interactions highlight the need for rigorous quality control and evidence-based application. This session provides a comprehensive overview of medicinal plants, phytotherapeutic principles, clinical evidence, and regulatory frameworks. Emphasis is placed on safety assessment, standardization, and integration into modern healthcare systems. Participants will gain practical insights into responsible use of herbal medicine, bridging traditional knowledge with contemporary scientific validation to support safe, effective, and patient-centered care.

• Scientific foundations of herbal medicine and phytotherapy
• Identification and therapeutic use of medicinal plants
• Understanding bioactive compounds and mechanisms
• Safety, standardization, and regulation of herbal products
• Evidence-based integration with conventional medicine

• Supports safe and informed use of herbal medicines
• Preserves traditional knowledge through scientific validation
• Addresses growing global reliance on plant-based therapies
• Reduces risks related to quality and herb–drug interactions
• Strengthens integrative, patient-centered healthcare models

Ethnobotany explores the intricate relationships between people and plants, focusing on how indigenous and local communities use botanical resources for medicine, food, rituals, and cultural practices. Indigenous knowledge systems represent centuries of empirical observation, ecological understanding, and cultural transmission, forming an invaluable foundation for healthcare, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods. Medicinal plant knowledge, in particular, has contributed significantly to traditional healing systems and modern drug discovery, underscoring the global relevance of ethnobotanical research.

However, rapid social change, environmental degradation, and loss of traditional lifestyles threaten the survival of this knowledge. Effective indigenous knowledge preservation requires respectful documentation, community engagement, and ethical research practices that recognize ownership, consent, and benefit sharing. This session examines qualitative and participatory methods for recording traditional plant knowledge, including oral histories, ethnographic fieldwork, and community-led documentation initiatives. Emphasis is placed on linking knowledge preservation with biodiversity conservation, ensuring sustainable use of plant resources while protecting ecosystems. The session also explores how ethnobotanical knowledge can be integrated with modern science, pharmacology, and healthcare without undermining cultural integrity. Participants will gain insights into safeguarding endangered knowledge systems, supporting indigenous rights, and fostering collaboration between traditional communities, researchers, and policymakers. By preserving ethnobotanical wisdom, healthcare and environmental systems can benefit from culturally grounded, sustainable, and inclusive approaches to health and well-being.

• Cultural and scientific foundations of ethnobotany
• Indigenous medicinal and ecological plant knowledge
• Ethical documentation and benefit-sharing practices
• Links between knowledge preservation and biodiversity
• Community-driven and sustainable conservation approaches

• Protects endangered indigenous knowledge systems
• Supports sustainable use of medicinal and food plants
• Encourages ethical research and cultural respect
• Contributes to drug discovery and integrative healthcare
• Strengthens biodiversity conservation and community resilience

Mind–body therapies are holistic approaches that recognize the dynamic interaction between mental processes, emotional states, and physical health. Practices such as yoga, meditation, and consciousness-based care aim to restore balance within the nervous system, enhance self-regulation, and support the body’s innate capacity for healing. Rooted in ancient traditions and increasingly validated by modern science, these therapies are now widely integrated into healthcare settings for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.

Yoga therapy combines physical postures, breath regulation, and relaxation techniques to improve flexibility, strength, and autonomic balance, while also reducing stress-related physiological responses. Meditation and mindfulness practices cultivate focused awareness and emotional regulation, demonstrating measurable benefits in reducing anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and cardiovascular risk. Consciousness-based care extends beyond symptom management, emphasizing self-awareness, intention, and mind–body coherence as contributors to overall well-being. This session explores the mechanisms underlying mind–body interventions, including neuroplasticity, stress hormone modulation, and immune regulation. It also examines clinical applications across chronic disease management, mental health, perioperative care, and lifestyle medicine.

Participants will gain an evidence-informed understanding of how mind–body therapies can be safely and effectively integrated with conventional treatments. Emphasis is placed on patient-centered care, cultural sensitivity, and appropriate program design. By bridging traditional wisdom with contemporary research, this session highlights the role of mind–body therapies in promoting resilience, preventive health, and holistic healing.

• Scientific and traditional foundations of mind–body medicine
• Clinical applications of yoga, meditation, and breathwork
• Stress reduction, emotional regulation, and resilience building
• Evidence-based benefits in chronic disease and mental health
• Safe integration into conventional healthcare models

• Addresses rising stress, burnout, and lifestyle-related illness
• Enhances holistic, patient-centered healthcare delivery
• Improves mental well-being and quality of life
• Complements medical treatment with non-pharmacologic options
• Supports preventive care and long-term health resilience