Guidelines for The Use of Herbal Medicines in Family Health Care

GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF HERBAL MEDICINES IN FAMILY HEALTH CARE

The Government of Indonesia has stipulated Primary Health Care (PHC) as a policy in health
care efforts, using it as a strategy to achieve health for all in 2000. In 2008, the WHO Regional
Office for South-East Asia introduced revitalization of PHC to its Member States in order to
achieve the Millennium Mid Decade Goals. One of the important elements of PHC, is among
others, application of appropriate technology and community participation.

Traditional health efforts with application of traditional medicine is also a form of community
participation applying appropriate technology, which has great potential in supporting
health development. Historically, traditional medicine has been used by our ancestors since
ancient times and the ingredients are available in abundance in every part of Indonesia.

To improve equitable health services, the use of traditional medicine becomes very important.
This guideline on application of herbal medicine use in Indonesia could be used by cadres,
housewives and the Family Welfare Movement (PKK) for self help in solving their health
problems at home and community level.

This book describes how to treat ailments. However, signs and symptoms are also given as well
as preventive measures using traditional methods. In Chapter III the following presentation is
used:

• Main signs and symptoms


• Additional symptoms


• Treatment with one of the recipes. In each recipe the ingredients, method of preparation
  and directions for use are described.


• General advice, precaution and things to pay attention to, are also given.

Recipes in this book had been selected to treat the most common ailments in the community
and the ingredients that are available, easy to obtain and well known in communities in
Indonesia. Annex contains the description of medicinal plants mentioned in this book.

1 INTRODUCTION