Intangible cultural heritage and health

This chapter addresses how communities’ traditional health practices can contribute to their well-being and to achieving quality health care for all. Examples are introduced to see how communities worldwide have developed a diversity of health-related knowledge, practices, expressions, rituals and beliefs providing effective and affordable therapies. The holistic approach (physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing) of traditional health practices are pointed out. Why is it vital to ensure the safeguarding of this therapeutic knowledge and continue its transmission? How can health practices that are recognized by communities as part of their intangible cultural heritage and that contribute to their wellbeing be enhanced? How can their potential to contribute to achieving quality health care for all be harnessed? Why is it important to foster a dialogue among different knowledge systems that can enhance what each of them has to contribute to the general well-being of people and communities.

This video is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA license.