What is Decolonised Medicine?
Decolonised medicine refers to an approach to healthcare that recognises and addresses colonialism's historical and ongoing impact on health and healthcare. It seeks to move away from the Western-centric, Eurocentric model of medicine; instead, it prioritises safe and accessible forms of community-based medicine that include the traditional practices and wisdom of individuals who are often marginalised and part of underrepresented communities.
Colonialism has had a significant impact on healthcare, with many aspects of medicine and healthcare systems rooted in Western colonial ideologies and practices. This has resulted in a healthcare system that often ignores or marginalises the depth and diversity of traditional healing modalities and individuals. Decolonised medicine seeks to address this by incorporating traditional healing practices, knowledge, and values into modern healthcare, creating an inclusive and culturally sensitive approach.
Some key principles of decolonised medicine include:
Prioritising traditional medicine that considers the entirety of an individual and the community in which they reside: Decolonised medicine acknowledges and values the diversity of traditional knowledge and practices of participating communities and seeks to incorporate them into modern healthcare.
Addressing the impact of colonisation: Decolonised medicine recognises and addresses the historical and ongoing impact of colonisation on health and healthcare, particularly for marginalised communities.
Promoting cultural safety: Decolonised medicine aims to create a healthcare system that is safe and inclusive for all individuals, regardless of their cultural background or identity.
Emphasising community-based care: Decolonised medicine recognises the importance of community-based care and the role of social determinants of health in shaping health outcomes.
Collaborative and equitable partnerships: Decolonised medicine emphasises the importance of building collaborative, multi-sectional, equitable partnerships with various practitioners and modalities within our care systems.
Within the world of herbal medicine, there is a vast and diverse group of practitioners and modalities. My personal practice is centred around the modern Clinical Phytotherapy model and by piecing together my own lost heritage originating from Celtic and Métis descent. Through generational trauma and ongoing forms of cultural genocide, much of these traditional practices have been lost, and the journey to unpack my own colonial influence is dynamic and ever-changing; I vow to make this a priority and will continue to examine my own ideals of how wellness is approached as a clinical natural medicine practitioner.
In conclusion, decolonised medicine is an approach to healthcare that recognises and addresses the impact of colonisation on health and healthcare. It seeks to incorporate traditional healing practices and knowledge, prioritise community-based care, and promote cultural safety and equity in healthcare. By doing so, decolonised medicine aims to create a healthcare system that is inclusive and culturally sensitive and prioritises all individuals' health and well-being.