2635

HEALTH AND MEDICINE OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Arce, Julio E, Neuquén, Argentina.

Asociación para la Salud de los Pueblos Aborígenes-ASPA

Hospital Provincial Castro Rendón, Neuquén, Argentina.

Objective:. Revival of Traditional Indian Medicine to contribute in Primary Healt Care in Latinamerican Countries.

At the time of the so called" Discovery of the New World"(XV century)the medicine level of the native cultures in the american continent was surely better as the one of the european conquerors, as testified in many chronics:

Hernán Cortés for Mexico, Francisco Pizarro for Perú, Virrey Toledo for Chuquisaca(actual Bolivia).The bloody conquest and the terrible conditions of slavery,hard work in the mines and prohibition of language and religion, bestdes the introduction of new unknown diseases (measles, influenza, pox), reduced drastically the native population to the extent of a genocide. Despite such unfavourable factors, the ancient knowlwdge of the First Nations survived until our days, we can find it especially among the rural population of rural aresa in mountains, forests and plains.

Referring to traditional medicine, we must avoid four main mistakes:-ignore it as if it did not exist-critisize it without previous analysis-idealize as if it could cure all diseases-employ it without the necessary preparation.

We must try to rescue it allowing the activities of the traditional healers, ln collaboration with theofficial academic medicine in the primary Health Care of the population, especially in those areas where native cultures predominate.