Brazil scientists to study medical herbs used by Guarani-Kaiowá people
Brazil’s research foundation Fiocruz and the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) will study the medicinal plants and herbal treatments against tuberculosis used by the Guarani-Kaiowá indigenous people in Mato Grosso do Sul state.
The project is expected to yield a large number of studies in the Guarani language, as well as the creation of a therapeutic garden in the Amambai village, coordinated by the Guarani-Kaiowá Indigenous Youth Group, or Jiga.
The initiative is based around the concept of cultural competence in medicine, where health interventions take into account the cultural beliefs and therapeutic practices of the native people. The idea is to exchange knowledge in order to come up with a safe way to use these herbs with drugs indicated for tuberculosis.
The research is spearheaded by scientist Islândia Carvalho, from Fiocruz Pernambuco, and Paulo Basta, from the Sérgio Arouca Public School Health (Ensp/Fiocruz).
A previous study, conducted by UFPE researchers Rene Duarte and Rafael Ximenes, had produced the Pohã Ñana collection, which presents knowledge about traditional healing practices and a bilingual catalog with 82 medicinal plants used by the Guarani-Kaiowá people. The collection is expected to be enlarged after the new studies.
