Traditional System of Medicine for Community Health and Livelihood Security

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

In face of onslaught of modern medicine, which is inaccessible to poor communities, it is necessary to revive the multi-tiered, interactive, interdisciplinary, eco-sensitive and vegetation-based health care system. It builds on indigenous knowledge systems by which communities' basic health security is in their own hands, in their relation to life of trees and plants and biodiversity. JJVS has established a network of traditional folk healers (Gunis) in selected pockets of nine states of India. The base for the Guni cooperation is the law for local governance in scheduled areas, PESA Act – which gives the Gram Sabhas as local village councils an authority to nominate the traditional healers – and thus give them a public recognition The constitutive approach of JJVS is to recognize new Gunis and to expand to new areas in Rajasthan, and promote then the mutual learning of Gunis and their registration processes in Panchayats, their cooperation for local health consultations and school and home herbal gardens, preparation of community health knowledge registers and local biodiversity registers, and cooperation with colleges, researchers and authorities. Besides this basic approach there are: - Two construction sites to be promoted: a Temple Garden and Guni Ashram Kurabar - The National cooperation - Mapping of so called “sustainable pockets” where traditional skills and sustainable life still is available For 2013 two additional elements are emphasized: - Participation in an initiative process of Accreditation and Certification of Prior Learning (ACPL) of Gunis through involving local democratic bodies and technical institutions - supported by the National institute of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), Govt. of India, and technically supported by Indira Gandhi National open University (IGNOU), Quality council of India. . This process will start with qualifying Minimum standard of competence (MSC) format which is developed by expert folk healers themselves in particular stream or health condition. - The organic cultivation of medicinal plant or wild harvesting of raw drugs which are in high trade will be promoted for immediate livelihood support or income by Gunis, farmers, and villagers. The value addition of such raw drugs can also be taken for product or medicines development so that they can get more value or cost of the harvested medicinal herbs.