A review of health and access to health information in Bhutan

Glover, Steven William; Dema, Rinchen; Yangzon, Pema; Sonam, Karma; Gleghorn, Colette

doi:10.1111/j.1471-1842.2006.00664.x

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Some advances have been made in this area, such as the establishment of Hinari [ 76 , 77 ] and similar programs [ 52 , 75 , 78 ] which are platforms that provide access to scientific literature for little or no cost to health knowledge users in LMICs. These schemes have provided much greater access to online health journals, however there are still some limitations relating to the dissemination of some of these programs, and the provision of practical training in their use [ 74 , 79 , 80 ]. Additionally, infrastructure issues such as inadequate hardware, poor Internet connections, and unreliable electricity serve as major impediments to the access and use of evidence [ 30 , 44 , 73 , 81 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge translation for public health in low- and middle- income countries: a critical interpretive synthesis

Malla

Aylward

Ward

2018

glob health res policy

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BackgroundEffective knowledge translation allows the optimisation of access to and utilisation of research knowledge in order to inform and enhance public health policy and practice. In low- and middle- income countries, there are substantial complexities that affect the way in which research can be utilised for public health action. This review attempts to draw out concepts in the literature that contribute to defining some of the complexities and contextual factors that influence knowledge translation for public health in low- and middle- income countries.MethodsA Critical Interpretive Synthesis was undertaken, a method of analysis which allows a critical review of a wide range of heterogeneous evidence, through incorporating systematic review methods with qualitative enquiry techniques. A search for peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2016 on the topic of knowledge translation for public health in low- and middle – income countries was carried out, and 85 articles were reviewed and analysed using this method.ResultsFour main concepts were identified: 1) tension between ‘global’ and ‘local’ health research, 2) complexities in creating and accessing evidence, 3) contextualising knowledge translation strategies for low- and middle- income countries, and 4) the unique role of non-government organisations in the knowledge translation process.ConclusionThis method of review has enabled the identification of key concepts that may inform practice or further research in the field of knowledge translation in low- and middle- income countries.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s41256-018-0084-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge translation for public health in low- and middle- income countries: a critical interpretive synthesis

Malla

Aylward

Ward

2018

glob health res policy

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“…The country hosts two forms of traditional medicine: local healing practices and the official traditional medical system known as sowa rigpa . Sowa rigpa is recognized as one of the country's tangible heritage [10]. This traditional medical system is one of the five major sciences of Tibetan Buddhism ( rigs gnas che ba Inga ) and blends philosophy, culture and Buddhism.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions and attitudes of bhutanese people on Sowa Rigpa, traditional bhutanese medicine: a preliminary study from Thimphu

Lhamo

Nebel²

2011

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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BackgroundMany claims are made that the use of traditional medicine is a substantial and growing part of healthcare behavior around the world. In Bhutan traditional medical practice is one of the country's tangible heritages. The country hosts two forms of traditional medicines: local healing practices and the official traditional medical system known as sowa rigpa, meaning "the science of healing". This paper explores the attitudes on sowa rigpa among Bhutanese living in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.MethodsThis study was conducted from May to September 2009. In total, 155 people coming from diverse social backgrounds were randomly selected for the study. The study made use of qualitative as well as quantitative approaches, involving the administration of questionnaires and conducting in-depth interviews.ResultsFrom the 155 respondents 99% have heard about sowa rigpa, mainly from their friends or relatives. The study showed that sowa rigpa is popular among the respondents since more than half (51%) have said that they have been treated by sowa rigpa doctors. The data revealed that the majority (83%) of the respondents are satisfied with the treatment received.ConclusionThe Bhutanese healthcare system that integrates sowa rigpa and modern medicine offers an opportunity for active healthcare decision-making by the patients. The improved understanding of the knowledge, attitudes and treatment seeking practices of the participants in the study provides useful information for health practitioners and policy makers to plan health activities. The present preliminary study represents only people living in the capital city of Bhutan. Therefore, a further nationwide study is planned to better understand the role sowa rigpa plays also in rural Bhutan.

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Medicinal plants from the Himalayan region for potential novel antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory skin treatments

Heinrich

Jiang

Scotti

et al. 2021

Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology

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Background and Objectives Adequate treatment of wounds remains one of the major medical needs globally, most notably in the regions with poor or limited access to health care. In many local and traditional systems of medicine, plants are often widely used for treating infected wounds. Aim and objectives The overarching aim of this project was selection of potential species for use in a future treatment by combining with plant resources with aspects of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). Specifically, we focussed on species used locally in the Himalayan region for the treatment of skin disorders and then assessed the existing pharmacological evidence for key species based on the published evidence available. Methods Database searches were performed to identify relevant publications describing local and traditional uses of plants in the Himalayan region of Bhutan, PR China, India, Nepal and Pakistan. Using the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), species were researched in terms of their distribution including in different climatic regions, focussing on species mostly found in higher climatic zones (based on the Köppen–Geiger climate classification). For species used in three or more countries and restricted to the higher altitudes, data on safety, pharmacology, as it relates to dermatological conditions, and phytochemistry were retrieved. Key findings The study identified a total of 606 species that are used in the treatment of various skin conditions often associated with infections reported in 84 articles. Common weeds like Ageratum conyzoides and Bidens pilosa, widely used and cultivated species like Centealla asiatiaca and Prunus armenica were excluded. This ultimately led to the identification of a core group of five widely used species restricted to the Himalayan region (Cedrus deodara, Nardostachys jatamansi, Pinus wallichiana, Pinus roxburghii and Valeriana jatamansi). Conclusions Here we apply a novel approach comprising an assessment of the published information on the use of medicinal plants (i.e. local and traditional knowledge) in the context of their potential to be used in a biomedical form of clinical treatment – aPDT. Then, once sustainable sourcing based on access and benefit-sharing arrangements is in place, these species are investigated for their potential in wound treatment. Ultimately, the goal is to develop a new baseline for primary health care in some of the regions of the world with poor or limited access to health care.

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A review of health and access to health information in Bhutan

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Knowledge translation for public health in low- and middle- income countries: a critical interpretive synthesis

Knowledge translation for public health in low- and middle- income countries: a critical interpretive synthesis

Perceptions and attitudes of bhutanese people on Sowa Rigpa, traditional bhutanese medicine: a preliminary study from Thimphu

Medicinal plants from the Himalayan region for potential novel antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory skin treatments

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