Recognizing the importance of traditional and alternative medicines in providing essential health care to Filipinos, Presidential Proclamation No. 698 has declared November as Traditional and Alternative Health Care (TAHC) Month. The proclamation is in support of the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997 (Republic Act No. 8423), which recognizes the value of traditional medicine for Filipinos. Alternative and traditional medicine are now integrated it the national health care delivery system.
With the above, traditional and alternative health care is define as the sum total of knowledge, skills and practices on health care, other than those embodied in biomedicine, used in the prevention, diagnosis and elimination of physical or mental illness.
Moreover, traditional medicine is not necessarily explicable in the context of modern, scientific philosophical framework, but recognized by the people to help maintain and improve their health towards the wholeness of their being, the community and society, and their interrelations based on culture, history, heritage and consciousness.
It also recognizes alternative health care modalities including reflexology, acupressure, chiropractic, nutritional therapy and other similar methods. These modalities are not necessarily practiced for centuries nor handed down from one generation to another. Meanwhile, use of herbal medicines are also included as traditional alternative means of prevention and treatment of some ailments.
Herbal medicines are finished, labeled, medicinal products that contain as active ingredient/s serial or underground part/s of plant or other materials or combination thereof, whether in the crude state or as plant preparations. Plant material includes juices, gums, fatty oils, essential oils, and other substances of this nature.
Moreover, herbal medicines, may contain excipients in addition to the active ingredient(s). Medicines containing plant material(s) combined with chemically-defined active substances, including chemically-defined, isolated constituents of plants, are not considered to be herbal medicines.
There you are mga ka nutrisyon. November is Traditional and Alternative Health Care Month!
Ngayong buwan, halina’t mas matuto pa tungkol sa mga halamang gamot, paghihilot, at iba pang tradisyunal na mga paraan ng paggagamot!
Bisitahin ang pitahc.gov.ph para sa iba pang kaalaman ukol sa traditional and alternative health care! # NPC CPDotollo