Ancestral Practices for Dengue Control in the Indigenous Community of Embera Katío in Córdoba, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: Dengue is a disease of public health concern, due to its difficult control, accelerated expansion in tropical and subtropical countries, the nonexistence of vaccines or specific drugs, as well as the neglect of communities with high levels of vulnerability and morbidity and mortality risks.
Objective: To explore the ancestral practices of dengue control used by indigenous people from the Embera Katío community in Córdoba, Colombia.
Methods: Qualitative study, with a microethnographic design, developed with twenty members from Embera Katío, one of the indigenous communities in the Córdoba Department, Colombia, between June 2019 and May 2020. Data collection was carried out through in-depth interview, following Leininger postulates. The findings were organized, systematized and interpreted using the content analysis technique.
Results: It was found that, in the community under study, the use of ancestral practices persists, among which the use of herbs in the form of baths and drinks stands out. Likewise, disease control is linked to customs based on rituals, chants and procedures performed by the Jaibaná, integrating the spiritual, cultural and corporeal worlds.
Conclusions: The most commonly used herbs for dengue control are balsam-pear (Momordica charantia), cedron (Simaba cedron [Planch.]), paradise tree (Simarouba glauca [DC.]), quickstick (Gliricidia sepium) and lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus). It is necessary to implement transdisciplinary and transcultural approaches, in order to enhance the capacity of families as primary caregivers, as well as of nurses as agents in the early identification of needs and the implementation of care plans.