Encounter between indigenous and Western health knowledge in Putumayo

On March 28, the first meeting on indigenous and Western health knowledge was held in Mocoa, Putumayo. The dialogue was attended by members of the Departmental Health Secretariat, representatives of various local health providers, and Taitas, traditional healers, and representatives of the different indigenous councils in the department.

The meeting, held at the headquarters of the Association of Chagra Women for Life (ASOMI), was supported by the organization Internews, as part of the Arraigados en la Confianza (Rooted in Trust) project. Our participation in the event was based on more than 11 years of experience working with indigenous communities on the right to health and the recognition of their own knowledge. We focused particularly on the processes developed in the department of Vaupés around intercultural health.

The dialogue of knowledge began with the construction of the concept of health from an indigenous and Western perspective. Similarly, the importance of building bridges between indigenous knowledge and local institutions was identified in order to strengthen key processes such as the creation of the Intercultural Indigenous Health System (SISPI), which is currently under construction in Putumayo.

It is important for us to support spaces where interorganizational debates on intercultural health can take place and where indigenous knowledge and the collective construction of processes in health and social development are recognized.