The Pan-American Health Organization (known as OPAS/OMS in Brazil) is an international public health institution with over a century of experience dedicated to improving health conditions in the Americas. Its integration with the United Nations occurs when it acts as the regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Americas. It is also affiliated to the Organization of American States (OAS).
The organization has an important role in the improvement of public health policies and services through the transfer of technology and the dissemination of knowledge accumulated from studies undertaken in member countries. This requires a level of international co-operation between technicians and scientists specialized in epidemiology, environmental health, human resources, communications, services, the control of zoonotic diseases, medication and the promotion of health.
Popular practices closely related to the natural world became associated with the 1960’s counter-culture lifestyle at the same time as the popularity of alternative medicine grew in opposition to self-care and the debate about medicalization gained force.
The principle of integrated medicine is to construct an inclusive paradigm, to bring in what is different.
- In the 1970’s what had been termed ‘popular’ came to be called ‘alternative’.
- In the 1980’s ‘alternative’ became known as ‘complementary’.
- In the 2000’s the integrative concept aims to include these practices in mainstream medicine.
The combination of integrated practices and primary care is a Brazilian model which is being copied in other countries.
With the publication in May 2006 of the Alternative and Complementary Practices Policy, the Brazilian Health Ministry took an important step towards increasing the plurality of health services in the country.
Bioenergetic analysis (BA) has already starting been included on the lists of integrative and complementary practices in some states, which demonstrates both its preventive and a curative effectiveness.
These are some of the social projects undertaken by societies affiliated to the Latin American Association of Bioenergetic Analysis (FLAAB).
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