The World Health Summit (WHS) Regional Meeting 2026 has opened at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Kenya

The three-day summits bring together leaders, innovators, and changemakers for building a healthier future in the region and beyond. It will address pressing challenges and spark solutions to advance global health.

Among the topics on the agenda are the rising burden of chronic diseases, the changing patterns of infectious diseases, and the health financing landscape in Africa and globally.

Held under the theme “Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems: Innovation, Integration, and Interdependence,” the conference will for the first time, feature major international discussions on traditional medicine.

Experts will explore how the safe, regulated, and evidence-informed integration of traditional medicine (TM) could help strengthen primary healthcare and accelerate progress toward universal health coverage.

They will examine what this means in practice, including how TM can expand access, support prevention, ease pressure on overstretched services, and contribute to more resilient, people-centred health systems—while ensuring safety, quality, and accountability.

Since the Second WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit in New Delhi, 12 African countries were among 27 globally to commit to strengthening governance, research, regulation and integration of TM.

African experts who will speak on policy, evidence, workforce integration and implications for patients and health systems include;

• 。Motlalepula Matsabisa – University of the Free State, South Africa; Member, WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (STAG)
• 。Dr Hiba Boujnah – Head of Global Strategy and Partnerships, Charité Competence Centre for Traditional and Integrative Medicine
• 。Dr Ossy Kasilo – Board Member, TCIH Coalition; former WHO Africa Regional Adviser on Traditional Medicine
• 。Prof Martins Emeje of Nigeria and co-chair of the WHO STAG on TCIM

In Kenya, KEMRI has been leading efforts to accelerate the integration of traditional and herbal medicine into Kenya’s national healthcare system.

It is currently developing six herbal products targeting cancer, which are set to serve as pilot interventions for policy integration, regulation, quality assurance, and evidence-based innovation in traditional medicine.