Indigenous knowledge on health care in high altitude Indian central Himalaya

Abstract

Constrain by a rigours environment which has fostered physical and social isolation for ages, the Indigenous communities have developed their traditional mode of living. The genre de vie of the isolated communities haves been marginally modified by exogenous force and have a systematic relationship with ecological condition and the resource base of the enclaves of their concentration. Encounter to disease troughs traditional practices are found throughout the world in different societies and culture since time immemorial. “Traditional medicine refers to health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being” (WHO, 2003). Indigenous plant-based medicines are often favored as they are inexpensive, culturally familiar and readily available. Traditional healer seems to be more accessible than conventional health care services in many rural areas. Number of traditional health practitioners regards the Himalaya as store house of various medicinal herbs. The rich and diversified flora of India provides a most valuable storehouse of medicinal plants. In Uttarakhand majority of traditional health care practitioners are herbal healers (vaidyas); they are easily accessible in the rural area and are useful to the community in absence of modern health services. In the Pauri District of Uttarakhand 60 traditional herbal healers (vaidya) were practicing in the rural area (Kala, 2004). These vaidyas used about 156 medicinal plant species for preparing 243 formulations to treat 73 ailments. He also found that this traditional practice, mainly acquired from generations is declining and lesser number of young people are choosing this profession. “The social aspects of traditional health practices in Central Himalaya found that females were the real custodians of the indigenous knowledge system as 52% of them have the knowledge on thirty practices against that of 26% for males. This indigenous knowledge system of medicine existing as a super structure, effectively serves the people of the region. Further, the indigenous practices being easily administrable and cheaper relieve the practitioners from time and financial hardship ” (Samal et al., 2004). Recognizing the present escalating demand for herbal medicines, and also in order to reduce the possibility of bio-piracy and to protect the rights of traditional herbal healers, there is an urgent need to document the various uses of plant species(Udgaonkar, 2002).