Connecting Global Priorities Biodiversity and Human Health

EDWARD N. JOHNSON
11. Traditional medicine
1. Introduction
The contribution of biodiversity and ecosystem
services to our health care needs is significant, both
for the development of modern pharmaceuticals
(Chivian and Bernstein 2008; Newmann and
Cragg 2007; see also chapter on contribution of
biodiversity to pharmaceuticals in this volume)
and for their uses in traditional medicine (WHO
2013). Long before the rise of pharmaceutical
development, societies have been drawing on
their traditional knowledge, skills and customary
practices, using various resources provided to
them by nature to prevent, diagnose and treat
health problems. Today, these practices continue
to inform health-care delivery at the level of local
communities in many places around the world
(WHO 2013). In socioecological contexts such
as these, several resources used for food, cultural
and spiritual purposes are also used as medicines
(Unnikrishnan and Suneetha 2012). Traditional
medicine practices provide more than health care
to these communities; they are considered a way
of life and are founded on endogenous strengths,
including knowledge, skills and capabilities.
Despite noteworthy advances in public health,
modern health-care systems worldwide still do
not adequately meet the health-care needs of
large sections of the population across the globe,
and the health and development goals of many
communities remain unrealized (Kim et al. 2013;
Anonymous 2008). Consequently, health-seeking
behaviour in both urban and rural contexts around
the world is increasingly becoming pluralistic or
a mix of different medical systems. For example,
in Peru, the plant knowledge of patients both at
herbalist shops and allopathic clinics was largely
identical. This indicates that traditional medicinal
knowledge is a major part of a people’s culture that
is being maintained, while patients also embrace
the benefits of western medicine (Bussmann 2013;
Vandebroek & Balick 2012; Vandebroek 2013).
Given the interlinked nature of conservation,
health and development, it is relevant to consider
community-focused approaches¹ that also address
traditional health knowledge and conservation
strategies as a way to complement mainstream
health systems, and fulfil the basic human right
to health and well-being.
1.2 Traditional medicine and biological
resources
Biological resources have been used extensively
for health care and healing practices throughout
history and across cultures. Such knowledge is
often specific to particular groups living in distinct
¹ A community here is defined as a group of people sharing a common ecosystem/landscape and associated knowledge.
180 Connecting Global Priorities: Biodiversity and Human Health