Traditional Medicine: Sharing Experiences from the Field

Traditional medicine takes different forms in different regions, and the documentation and preservation of traditional medical practices and knowledge is part of our efforts for safeguarding intangible heritage and recognizing and promoting cultural diversity. In the same vein, UNESCO has inscribed the Andean cosmovision of the Kallawaya in Bolivia, a body of ritual knowledge and artistic expressions intimately linked to religious beliefs, which also include traditional healing practices, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Traditional medicine, which includes healing practices and knowledge, could be considered more than just static traditional knowledge, as it helps us lead healthier lives naturally. It is also important to note that references to safeguarding traditional healing practices is not just included in the 2003 Convention but also in the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001), and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007). By recognizing and preserving traditional healing practices for therapeutic purposes in areas beyond the reach of modern medicine, we can help ensure our universal rights. According to the common definition by the World Health Organization, traditional medicine is “the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.” As such, traditional practices cannot be easily defined without reference to diverse social and cultural contexts and knowledge.