Essay On Indigenous Medicine

Exploitation and commodification of indigenous tribal knowledge has raised wide human rights concerns. This is seen more rampant in the field of medicine. The knowledge of the indigenous communities on medicine is popularly known by the nomenclature “Traditional Medicine”. The focus of inquiry in this paper is the extent to which the existing legal regime especially the intellectual property paradigm attempts to protect and preserve the interest of the indigenous peoples over their knowledge. The paper analyses whether indigenous medicine fits itself into the existing definition given by WHO on traditional medicine and proceeds to inquire into the threats and challenges faced by the indigenous communities as a result of commercialisation of
Modern corporate science has lined up against indigenous knowledge and practices in myriad forms leading to exploitation at all levels. This phenomenon had prompted human rights discourses on the need to protect the indigenous communities from the commodification of the knowledge especially in the field of medicine.(Sefi Dei et al ,2000) The knowledge of the indigenous communities on medicine is popularly known by the nomenclature “Traditional Medicine “. Several writings on the subject reveal that they are also known by terms like tribal or indigenous medicine, folk medicine, natural medicine, ethno medicine etc. However the very terminology “traditional” prefixed to medicine reveals its antiquity and that it was a practice of medicine prevalent in every country from the early human civilisation. Thus it is generally understood as a health care approach which is based on cultural practices belonging to the tradition of each country and which has been handed down from generations to generations. It also implies that it is different from modern medicine and its method of diagnosis and healing standards is different from today’s medicine. Thus it can be said that traditional medicine is community based collective knowledge on health care practices which might be as a result of innovations carried by predecessors which are transmitted and preserved by communities as a part of their heritage and may have got a
It gives the NBA decision-making powers over access by one traditional community to the knowledge of another community, if this is for earning their livelihood and not for commercial gain. It requires from communities to comply with the registration requirements of the Traditional Knowledge Register, if they want to receive