Traditional knowledge on health: balancing innovation, ethics and intellectual property

Traditional knowledge on health has long contributed to global health-care systems. Rooted in the cultural and ecological heritage of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, traditional knowledge has influenced pharmaceutical research, biodiversity conservation and public health strategies. However, concerns over misappropriation of traditional knowledge and inadequate benefit-sharing with the sources of such knowledge persist. The World Intellectual Property Organization Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge mandates patent disclosure requirements for genetic resources and traditional knowledge. While a step forward, the treaty's success depends on its effective implementation, ethical documentation of traditional knowledge, governance of artificial intelligence and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms, among other factors. We examine traditional knowledge protection under intellectual property systems, the provisions of the World Intellectual Property Organization treaty, challenges to documentation of traditional knowledge and the role of artificial intelligence in the governance of traditional knowledge. By fostering a legally robust and technology-driven protection system for traditional knowledge, policy-makers can ensure that traditional knowledge remains both a protected cultural heritage and a resource for sustainable innovation in global health.