Cerrado traditional herbalists at university and a training experience for the Unified Health System

Abstract

In Brazil’s second largest biome, the Cerrado, traditional herbalists are guardians of ancestral knowledge and play a vital role at the intersection between popular and scientific knowledge. This report of an experience sets out to describe work carried out at the University of Brasilia (UnB) led by one male and two female traditional herbalists from the Cerrado, with discussion groups and workshops which addressed, among other topics, traditional knowledge about native Cerrado plants, the production of bottled phytomedicines, shower gels and syrups, and the selection and planting of Cerrado seedlings at UnB. The activity involved tutors and students from the PET-Saúde: Equity tutorial learning group at UnB, which innovatively includes students from the human sciences and/or applied social sciences, as well as health. Thus, a training space was created, which through inter-epistemic dialogues, contributed to the formation and ongoing education of present and future workers of the Unified Health System. Over the three days, participants learned not only about using typical Cerrado plants in health care, but also about the importance of conserving the biodiversity of the Cerrado.