One of the main drivers behind this initiative was the recognition by the WHO of the role that traditional medicine and traditional approaches played during COVID-19 in many developing countries. The summit is an important milestone which should give impetus to mainstreaming and integrating traditional medicine into conventional healthcare systems. Traditional medicine must not be viewed as static but it must evolve as traditions evolve and new knowledge is generated. Research now needs to build more evidence around the effectiveness of these interventions, and how traditional medicine practitioners can be mobilised to become part of the healthcare system. There are various universities and government agencies working on various research projects in the traditional medicine sector.