Health and wellbeing

The ability to use indigenous languages and traditional practices directly affects the wellbeing of community members. Thus it is imperative that multilingualism and multi-culturalism are embraced to offer better health provision, recognizing traditional systems of medicine, as well as promoting social cohesion and delivering humanitarian responses, especially during health crises, and natural disasters.

Challenges

Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
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Challenge

Strategies

Integrate indigenous knowledge into health care practices

Actions

  • Integrate traditional healers into national health system
  • Integrate traditional medicine and practices into national health system
  • Train health workers in Indigenous knowledges (midwife, traditional birth practices, nutrition, healing)
  • Create awareness amongst health care workers and patients on dual heath system to facilitate integration

Actors

Revive indigenous community-health practices

Actions

  • Encourage community to use traditional health practices
  • Create awareness on dual heath system
  • Establish community health centres with resources (information, medicine, etc)

Actors

Enhance mental health and well-being

Actions

  • Integrate traditional practices into communal mental health services
  • Translate mental health educational material in Indigenous languages
  • Train mental health care workers in Indigenous languages
  • Train mental health care workers in culturally sensitive mental health practices
  • Programs to strengthen mental health and well-being through cultural empowerment
  • Offer mental health services in Indigenous languages

Actors

Ensure communication in indigenous language in health services

Actions

  • Train health care workers in Indigenous languages
  • Provide consultations in Indigenous languages (either provide translator or personnel speaks Indigenous languages)
  • Translate medical forms and reports in Indigenous languages
  • Translate health educational material in Indigenous languages
  • Health campaigns in Indigenous languages

Actors

Initiatives

N/a'an ku sê Lifeline Clinic

Efforts to break a vicious cycle for language, culture and healthcare provision

N/a'an ku sê Lifeline Clinic