NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN CUBA: OUTMODED QUACKERY OR A LEGITIMATE TRIBUTARY TO SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE?
<p class="first" id="d134150e70">'Quackery', 'charlatanism', 'hocus pocus' or more simply, 'fraud'; natural and traditional medicine has long been subject to disparaging judgements from the annals of Western me...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pluto Journals
2012-03-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Cuban Studies |
| Online Access: | https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.2307/41926673 |
| _version_ | 1797828746070196224 |
|---|---|
| author | Samantha Wright |
| author_facet | Samantha Wright |
| author_sort | Samantha Wright |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p class="first" id="d134150e70">'Quackery', 'charlatanism', 'hocus pocus' or more simply, 'fraud'; natural and traditional
medicine has long been subject to disparaging judgements from the annals of Western
medicine (Manewtiz 2001). Despite this however, one country securely anchored within
the paradigm of Western, empirically-based medicine and in possession of superior
health indicators, continues to employ these controversial methodologies; this country
is Cuba (MEDICC 2011; WHO 2008). Cuba is a world leader in the integration of natural
and traditional medicine (NTM) into its conventional practices and this essay sets
out to examine this anomaly (Bancroft-Hinchey 2010). This article begins with a clarification
of the term NTM, and examples of its multiple modalities. It then attends to the factors
that precipitated the rise of NTM in Cuba initially, underscoring the economic necessity
of its adoption. It then examines its proliferation and the manner in which it has
been integrated into mainstream medical practice. Before concluding, the article examines
the rationale behind NTM's continued use, considers its scientific basis and whether
there are factors other than economic savings that necessitate its inclusion within
the Cuban healthcare system. To conclude, the article confronts the question: should
Cuba's healthcare system abandon the integration of natural and traditional medicine
or does it truly have something to offer?
</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T13:09:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-940c5a8df3f44fa7b8b9ffc7a233f931 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3461 1756-347X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T13:09:16Z |
| publishDate | 2012-03-01 |
| publisher | Pluto Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Cuban Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-940c5a8df3f44fa7b8b9ffc7a233f9312023-05-12T08:47:07ZengPluto JournalsInternational Journal of Cuban Studies1756-34611756-347X2012-03-0141889910.2307/41926673NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN CUBA: OUTMODED QUACKERY OR A LEGITIMATE TRIBUTARY TO SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE?Samantha Wright<p class="first" id="d134150e70">'Quackery', 'charlatanism', 'hocus pocus' or more simply, 'fraud'; natural and traditional medicine has long been subject to disparaging judgements from the annals of Western medicine (Manewtiz 2001). Despite this however, one country securely anchored within the paradigm of Western, empirically-based medicine and in possession of superior health indicators, continues to employ these controversial methodologies; this country is Cuba (MEDICC 2011; WHO 2008). Cuba is a world leader in the integration of natural and traditional medicine (NTM) into its conventional practices and this essay sets out to examine this anomaly (Bancroft-Hinchey 2010). This article begins with a clarification of the term NTM, and examples of its multiple modalities. It then attends to the factors that precipitated the rise of NTM in Cuba initially, underscoring the economic necessity of its adoption. It then examines its proliferation and the manner in which it has been integrated into mainstream medical practice. Before concluding, the article examines the rationale behind NTM's continued use, considers its scientific basis and whether there are factors other than economic savings that necessitate its inclusion within the Cuban healthcare system. To conclude, the article confronts the question: should Cuba's healthcare system abandon the integration of natural and traditional medicine or does it truly have something to offer? </p>https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.2307/41926673 |
| spellingShingle | Samantha Wright NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN CUBA: OUTMODED QUACKERY OR A LEGITIMATE TRIBUTARY TO SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE? International Journal of Cuban Studies |
| title | NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN CUBA: OUTMODED QUACKERY OR A LEGITIMATE TRIBUTARY TO SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE? |
| title_full | NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN CUBA: OUTMODED QUACKERY OR A LEGITIMATE TRIBUTARY TO SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE? |
| title_fullStr | NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN CUBA: OUTMODED QUACKERY OR A LEGITIMATE TRIBUTARY TO SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE? |
| title_full_unstemmed | NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN CUBA: OUTMODED QUACKERY OR A LEGITIMATE TRIBUTARY TO SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE? |
| title_short | NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN CUBA: OUTMODED QUACKERY OR A LEGITIMATE TRIBUTARY TO SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE? |
| title_sort | natural and traditional medicine in cuba outmoded quackery or a legitimate tributary to sustainable healthcare |
| url | https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.2307/41926673 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samanthawright naturalandtraditionalmedicineincubaoutmodedquackeryoralegitimatetributarytosustainablehealthcare |