indigenous health

June 4, 2019

For the Americas: PAHO’s Nation-by-Nation Network and Resource for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine

In the United States, the complementary and integrative medicine dialogue about “traditional medicine” typically looks to Asia. The West-meets-East orientation respects the power and influence of Chinese and Indian traditions. Yet in doing so, both local indigenous practices and the roles of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) in Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean are mostly overlooked.  The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recently created a partial remedy for this hemispheric forgetfulness.  A two-year collaborative process with representatives of over 20 nations has created a powerful network and opened access to a nation-by-nation bounty of practices, papers, research, and regulations.