In conjunction with the Second World Summit on Traditional Medicine held in New Delhi in December 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the establishment of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (STAG-TM). This newly formed group comprises 19 independent international experts tasked with providing strategic and scientific guidance for the implementation of the Global Strategy for Traditional Medicine for the period 2025–2034.

Dr. Roshanak Ghods, an associate professor and faculty member of the School of Iranian Medicine at the Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), has been appointed as a member of this specialized advisory group. She actively participated in the inaugural STAG-TM meeting held in Delhi.

During this meeting, Dr. Ghods articulated two critical priorities essential for the sustainable development of traditional and complementary medicines. First, she emphasized the need to protect indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage by developing straightforward, practical, and enforceable protocols aimed at recording and preserving traditional knowledge across various regions, thereby preventing its gradual erosion and loss. Second, she advocated for the creation of specialized research methodologies tailored to the holistic and personalized nature of traditional and complementary medicines, which would enable more accurate scientific evaluations of their effectiveness.

According to the WHO, the advisory group members have set forth an agenda focused on identifying urgent global priorities in areas such as the generation of credible scientific evidence, the advancement of digital innovations, and the enhancement of scientific and educational capacity-building. These initiatives are expected to significantly elevate the role of traditional and complementary medicines within global health systems.