[EQ] Best Practices in Intercultural Health

Best Practices in Intercultural Health

John O’Neil, Judith Bartlett and Javier Mignone.

Prepared for the Inter-American Development Bank and the Pan American Health
Organization
Executive Summary, 2005 - Manitoba First Nations Centre for Aboriginal
Health Research University of Manitoba Canada

Available online as PDF file at:
http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=564741

The practice of integrating western and traditional medicines is fast
becoming an accepted and ever more widely used approach in health care
systems throughout the world. However, recent debates about the development
of intercultural health approaches have raised significant concerns
regarding regulation, efficacy, intellectual property rights, lack of
cross-cultural research, access and affordability, and protection of sacred
Indigenous plants and knowledge.

The basic premises are that of mutual respect, equal recognition of
knowledge, willingness to interact, and flexibility to change as a result of
these interactions. Intercultural health takes place at different levels,
including at the level of the family, practitioner, health centre, hospital,
and health system. A “Best Practice” in health care needs to satisfy a
series of criteria. It should: demonstrate a tangible and positive impact on
the individuals and population served, be sustainable, be responsive and
relevant to patient and community health needs and to cultural and
environmental realities, be client focused including gender and social
inclusion, improve access, coordinate and integrate services, be efficient
and flexible, demonstrate leadership, be innovative, show potential for
replication, identify health and policy needs, and have the capacity for
evaluation.

The five case studies selected for this project were in the Latin American
and Caribbean countries of
- Chile (Makewe Pelale Hospital & Boroa Health Centre, Temuco),
- Colombia (CRIC/AIC/IPS, Cauca),
- Ecuador (Jambi Huasi, Otavalo),
- Guatemala (Comadronas Association, Kaslen Foundation & Health Centre,
Comalapa), and
- Suriname (Medical Mission & Amazon Conservation Team clinics,
Kwamalasamutu & Pëlele Tëpu). ….”

            From: Javier Mignone:mignonej@cc.umanitoba.ca

 * * * *

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Received on Tue Aug 15 14:58:13 2006