Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116488

Javier Mignone, PhD, Judith Bartlett, MD, MSc, and John O'Neil, Phd. Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 715 McDermot Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4, Canada, (204) 975-7722, mignonej@ms.umanitoba.ca

The study, conducted by the Centre for Aboriginal Health Research at the University of Manitoba, Canada, involved five case studies of intercultural health in five Latin American and Caribbean countries: Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Suriname. Data collection took place over a period of six months (August 2004 to January 2005) with the assistance of country-specific researchers. Approximately 300 individuals participated in interviews and meetings across the five case studies, ranging from indigenous community members, users of the health systems, western and traditional health care providers, health administrators, indigenous organizations and community leaders, staff from NGOs, government officials at different levels and sectors of government, and international organizations. The researchers also participated in a number of community events that in total gathered approximately 500 people. Observations were recorded, and numerous written documentation and quantitative data was gathered and reviewed. The information was analyzed following a case study framework previously developed. The presentation will discuss results related to policy development by indigenous peoples, particularly as they relate to planning, implementation, management and evaluation of health systems that seek to articulate and integrate western and traditional indigenous medicine. It will also address the challenges and opportunities of effective partnerships between indigenous organizations and communities, and state-based health care sectors.

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