Medicinal plants feature in Brazilian health dialogue

WHO says representatives of more than 300 civil society organizations joined the virtual meeting.

Participants discussed inherited community practices and their relationship to health system priorities.

The civil society dialogue fed into WHO work on data, regulation and equitable access.

A WHO and PAHO workshop scheduled for 25–28 July opened in Rio de Janeiro.

The Rio programme included Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendants alongside health authorities and practitioners.

The opening day began four days of dialogue on how biodiversity sustains health knowledge and practices.

The feature describes contributions from many communities to treatments and health practices.

WHO notes smallpox inoculation in Asia and parts of Africa long before Jenner; the date is the article’s publication date.

WHO describes how Tu Youyou’s team used Chinese medical literature while developing artemisinin.

WHO cites traditions from Mesopotamia, India, China, Madagascar and Mexico while stressing evaluation of effectiveness.