Equity, intercultural approaches, and access to information on traditional, complementary, and integrative medicines in the Americas

Gallego-Pérez, Daniel F.; Abdala, Carmen Verônica Mendes; Amado, Daniel Miele; Carvalho de Sousa, Islândia Maria; Aldana-Martínez, Natalia Sofía; Ghelman, Ricardo

Access to information and intercultural approaches in the field of health are essential for the elimination of inequities in health access and care. Intercultural models such as traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) are an important part of health care in most countries and often contribute to expanding access to primary health care. Despite legal recognition and policies to integrate TCIM into health systems, their contribution to health, well-being, and people-centered care to achieve universal health is still underestimated. This article presents the progress (2017-2020) achieved by the Virtual Health Library specialized in the TCIM (VHL TCIM Americas), an initiative created as a tool to reduce the gaps in the production and access to validated information on TCIM. Through collaborative network work, VHL TCIM Americas contributes to the democratization of health, access to verified scientific data, visibility of non-conventional knowledge, strengthening of research capacities, and exchange of experiences for informed decision-making.