How to Promote Traditional Medicine by the Italian Community
The World Health Organization defines traditional medicine as the skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences of different cultures and used to maintain health and to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical or mental illness. Italy has a long history of developing alternative medicine. Southern Italians in particular are known for producing traditional herbal medicines, and midwives continue to help women throughout Italy give birth. If you're interested in promoting traditional Italian medicine in your community, the World Health Organization has some tips for you.
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Instructions
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Select a type of traditional Italian medicine -- e.g., herbal medicines or midwifery -- and learn everything you can about this subject. You don't need to actually practice any medicine yourself, but you should learn the medicine's history, implications and modern methods as you can't promote a cause you don't understand. You should also learn about potential drawbacks or criticisms of this medicine; by understanding the arguments against your cause, you'll be able to build better arguments in favor of it.
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Promote traditional medicine by the Italian community by demanding that health-insurance and health-care providers recognize its validity. Write thoughtful, courteous and well-reasoned letters to both lawmakers and health insurers and providers explaining why traditional Italian medicine should be covered. Describe the benefits of traditional medicine and cite examples of other cities or insurance providers in which traditional medicines are covered. For example, many insurers will pay for hospital births for women but will not pay for midwives. Explain in your letters that midwives are safe to use and less expensive than hospitals.
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Advocate for safe, effective and qualified usage of traditional Italian medicine by supporting research programs that study it or reputable schools that train people to practice it. You can donate money or raise funds for university programs that conduct research in traditional herbal medicines. These research programs conduct studies into the chemical makeup of medicinal herbs and the effects those chemicals have on health. This type of research legitimizes herbal medicines in the eyes of those who practice modern medicine.
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Assist underprivileged people who want to use traditional Italian medicine by donating money to nonprofit groups that promote access to traditional medicine. The reason many people do not use traditional medicines is that they cannot afford them. While modern healthcare may be subsidized or covered by insurance companies, patients usually must pay for traditional medicines out of pocket. You can help an economically disadvantaged woman to give birth with a midwife by donating cash.
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Support traditional medicine by the Italian community by advocating for its rational use. Always support traditional medicinal groups or practices that work together with modern medicine to provide healthcare for everyone. Avoid groups that scorn modern medicine wholesale. In some cases, herbal medicines may help sick people. In other cases, these people may need to visit a hospital. Traditional medicine is not necessarily in conflict with modern medicine.
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References
- Photo Credit italy image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
