Writing in plain English

The Plain English Campaign 2006

This chapter considers the traditional approaches to sickness and health in
four countries in the South Pacific region shown in Figure 10.1 – Australia,
Fiji, Samoa and New Zealand – highlighting both similarities and differ-
ences where these exist. It identifies the impact of European colonisation on
the health of these Pacific nations, the difficulties experienced in using tradi-
tional methods to treat new and unfamiliar sicknesses, and also the ways
in which indigenous peoples adapted their old ways to deal with the new
problems.

10

Traditional medicines in the

Pacific

Rosemary Beresford

Figure 10.1 Map of Pacific ocean.

AUSTRALIA

JAPAN

USA

ASIA

SOUTH

AMERICA

Hawaii

Samoa

Cook Is

Tonga

New Zealand

Easter Is

Ta h i t i

Equator

Polynesia

Micronesia

Melanesia

Fiji

Guam

PNG