Traditional Medicine in PAHO/WHO
In this section, you can access the different strategies, policies and spaces created by PAHO / WHO for the protection of indigenous peoples and diverse ethnic groups, the maintenance of their health, and the promotion of traditional medicines.
6.1 WHO Strategy on Traditional Medicine 2014-2023: Strategy published in 2013, updating the WHO Strategy on Traditional Medicine 2002-2005, with the objective of “helping Member States to develop dynamic policies and implement action plans that reinforce the role of the [MTCI] in maintaining people’s health, “taking advantage of” the potential contribution of [MTCI] to health, well-being and people-centered health care “, promoting” the use safe and effective [MTCI] through regulation and research, as well as through the incorporation of products, professionals and practices in health systems, as appropriate. ”
6.2 Policy on Ethnicity and Health: Approved by the Ministries of Health in 2017, promotes an intercultural approach that contributes, among other things, to eliminate barriers to access to services, and to improve the health outcomes of different ethnic groups. This Policy highlights five strategic lines for technical cooperation in addressing the health of different ethnic groups. Among them, the recognition of ancestral knowledge and traditional and complementary medicine. With this, it seeks to enhance the dialogue of knowledge that facilitates the development and strengthening of intercultural health models as a way to achieve care focused on the needs of individuals and communities.
6.3 Universal Health Strategy: Access and Coverage for All: The universal health strategy promotes universal access to health and universal health coverage, which “implies that all people and communities have access, without any discrimination, to health services that are integral, appropriate, opportune, quality, determined at national level, fitting the needs; as well as access to medicines that are good quality, safe, effective and affordable. All these, while, ensuring that the use of these services does not expose users to financial difficulties, particularly vulnerable groups. “(CD53/5, Rev. 2 and CD53/R14 PAHO / WHO, 2014).
6.4 Agenda for Sustainable Health for the Americas 2018-2030 (CSP29/6): represents the response of the health sector to the commitments assumed by the Member States of PAHO in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, together with the unfinished issues of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Health Agenda for the Americas 2008-2017, as well as emerging regional public health challenges. The Agenda is operationalized through the strategic plans and strategies of PAHO, as well as through subregional and national health plans.
6.5 “Advanced Regional Meeting towards Universal Health, contributions of traditional and complementary medicine”: In June 2017, Nicaragua hosted the Regional Meeting “Advancing towards Universal Health, Contributions of Traditional and Complementary Medicine”. In this meeting, the experiences of 21 countries of the Region of the Americas, related to the implementation of traditional and complementary medicine in health systems, academic and research spaces, were exchanged.