Abstract
Traditional healing in Meghalaya is still being practiced and is popular even with the encroachment and influence of modern civilization. This rich traditional knowledge and the information about their uses are orally passed from one generation to the other. The ethnic and tribal communities of Meghalaya, viz., the Khasis, the Jaintias, and the Garos are intimately connected with plants and their environment and with the large varieties of herbs, shrubs, and medicinal plants. The traditional healers use them for a wide range of health-related applications from common cold to the treatment of poisonous snake bites to a cure of muscular dystrophy and the enhancement of the body’s general immunity. Their contribution to the primary healthcare system in the state has been neglected over the years and this chapter aims to draw attention to the efforts of the traditional healers in providing healthcare services to their communities. The contribution of traditional healers toward primary health care is tremendous and needs to be recognized and perhaps be integrated into the formal healthcare systems as per WHO strategy 2024 for availing affordable health care for all.
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Lyngdoh, J.P. (2022). Contribution of Traditional Medicine Toward Primary Health Care in Meghalaya. In: Kaushik, A., Suchiang, A. (eds) Narratives and New Voices from India. Communication, Culture and Change in Asia, vol 8. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2496-5_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2496-5_14
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