Conversation: "Addressing Intercultural Health to the COVID-19 Pandemic"

The role that traditional medicine plays in multi-ethnic contexts, is decisive and important from the worldview of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast, who have their own knowledge for the implementation of it, so it is more than essential to count the contribution and support of traditional doctors in the region.

Involving traditional doctors in this initiative becomes a fundamental axis in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, because from her reason and understanding in the use of traditional medicine, they prepare and contribute to the prevention of the peoples who inhabit the Caribbean Coast to face the disease, as highlighted by Master Serafina Espinoza, director of the Institute of Traditional Medicine and Community Development (IMTRADEC) , during his presentation entitled "Addressing Intercultural Health to the COVID-19 Pandemic", before the participants of the conversation held at the Bilwi campus under the UNESCO Chair "Wisdom and Knowledge of Peoples" installed in URACCAN, as part of the commitment made by this study house to share information regarding the Coronavirus for the prevention of the same, where specialists participate , academics, students and politicians who lead the region.

Espinoza, who is originally from the Miskito people, stressed that the approach from the worldview is essential for the peoples to be prepared, "the worldview is fundamental to our people and in the face of this new disease that appeared to us in the world and that it will reach our communities safely, so we cannot ignore our worldview and when we talk about worldview we talk about our own medicine , from our medicine with which we have lived for a long time, our ancestors, our ancestors and thanks to this medicine and our worldview is that many of us are present here today."

In addition, he noted that worldviews "are different because we inhabit different peoples, with different customs and beliefs, based on this principle, we recommend that it is time to reflect, remember and not forget our own traditional ancestral practices".

The worldview is the harmonious spirit that gives strength and courage to the peoples, so Espinoza called the new generations not to forget their ancestral roots, "let us not forget the knowledge that our ancestors had, because there is the millennial wealth of our peoples, our traditional doctors did not go to a Western university, but they went to mother Earth university, but they went to Mother Earth University , where their knowledge of the use of medicinal plants has been formed and strengthened, which is why it becomes fundamental to this problem that we must face strengthening the spirituality of our peoples and the practices of the use of medicinal plants since the implementation of the regional health model," he stressed.

URACCAN of IMTRADEC has been promoting intercultural health and the use of traditional ancestral medicine, with the accompaniment of traditional doctors desire many years ago.