The Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) participated virtually in the World Health Summit 2025, held in the German capital, Berlin. This participation was during a high-level session organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) to discuss the mechanisms for implementing the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, and transforming it into actionable work programs at the national and regional levels.

The session, which is an extension of the dialogue launched during the Regional Meeting of the Summit in Delhi, aims to explore practical paths for translating the strategic vision into regulatory and practical practices. The focus is on integrating traditional and complementary medicine into national health systems through good governance, balanced legislation, inter-sectoral coordination, and investment in human capacity building.

The session also addressed the lessons learned from regional experiences in Africa and Europe, and the role of the WHO in guiding implementation and supporting institutional innovation, especially in the areas of control, research, and the integration of traditional and scientific knowledge.

During the session, Dr. Nesma Elsayed, Director-General of the General Administration for Herbal Product Registration at the Egyptian Drug Authority, reviewed the national regulatory experience in the field of herbal medicines. She explained the integrated regulatory framework adopted by the EDA to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of products, while supporting research and innovation in traditional medicine.

The EDA emphasized, during its participation, the importance of enhancing regulatory harmonization in the Middle East region as one of the main keys to facilitating the circulation of safe and scientifically approved herbal products. It called for activating regional cooperation mechanisms and exchanging expertise in line with the WHO's approach to building consistent frameworks for governance, accreditation, and regulation.

The pivotal role played by the WHO in supporting member states towards integrating traditional medicine into modern health systems was also highlighted. This support includes developing guidance documents, providing digital platforms for knowledge exchange, and adopting scientific methodologies that consider the cultural and contextual specificities of each country.

In conclusion of the session, commitment was reaffirmed to exert more efforts to achieve the sustainability of providing safe, effective, and high-quality products, build national capabilities in the fields of research and control, and support evidence-based health policies. This contributes to enhancing the integration between traditional and scientific medicine, and ensuring safety, efficacy, and equity in access to health services.

This comes within the framework of the Egyptian Drug Authority's commitment to continuously enhance and exchange expertise, open channels of communication, and support cooperation with various international bodies and organizations, stemming from its leading international position in the field of regulating and controlling medical products.