What is Integrative Healthcare?

In our budget engagements with the Department of Health through our membership with the Alternative Budget Initiative – Health Cluster, the Sub-Cluster on Health Promo and Integrative Healthcare have partially presented our brand of healthcare using Integrative Healthcare (IHC) as foundation.

Our definition of IHC is lifted from the definition of Integrative Medicine for Alternative Healthcare Systems (INAM) Philippines, Inc. We recognize its pioneering efforts they made in the field IHF:

“Integrative Health Care is awareness, a consciousness of viewing health as a state of total well-being resulting from the interplay of socio-economic, political and spiritual aspects of life. Basic to this consciousness is the understanding that health is a fundamental human right and responsibility of the individual and, collectively, of the community.

This PIM consciousness adheres to the integration of different systems of medicine based on empirical and scientific knowledge, rooted in the culture of the people. Such an integrated system addresses the health problems in the community through promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services, which are accessible, affordable, available, effective and acceptable to the people.

PIM, as an evolving consciousness, emphasizes the direct, responsible and sustained participation of people in the development of their alternative health care systems, an indicator of the fulfillment of their aspiration for self-determination.

Uses primary healthcare approach as a strategy (Alma-Ata Declaration).”

We really go beyond the complementation of Eastern and Western, Traditional/Alternative and Biomedical Methods. This will only come to play when the people are the ones deciding on what kind of health service delivery they need which is most accessible and appropriate for them.

How about the others? What is your definition of IHC…