Our Vision
Health in the context of culture and community
GHRF initiatives aim to view health care in the context of the community as a whole, and then work in collaboration with those served. Therein, measures to improve health, reduce disease, and increase knowledge and prevention may be understood and thus, sustainable.
In much of the world, health service provision is dependent on government budget allocations and donor organization allotments. No money = no meds = no care. In this setting, health care and interventions which are culturally understood, accepted and provided by community members can be considered, in effect, a form of health insurance, assuring at least a level of care is available despite fluctuations in funding.
Preservation of local knowledge and cultural wisdom
As efforts are made to modernize and improve the economic and physical lives of populations, especially in the developing world, culture may be ignored or misunderstood. This often results in persistent disease in the face of wasted efforts, energy and funding. But in this rapidly changing world, these efforts risk a more insidious process of cultural degradation. The customs, beliefs, wisdom, rituals and understandings, which are shared by a community, carry great value. It is increasingly clear that the health of all populations benefits from preserving the wisdom inherent in many local practices. This is exemplified in the knowledge and use of rare medicinal herbs, in special manipulative techniques and in many meditative traditions.
As we strive to address our global health and welfare, old methods, beliefs and understandings need not be cast off in the face of new discoveries, or wholly replaced with modern tools and medicines. When a process of change arises within a community or occurs naturally over time, new knowledge can be smoothly assimilated, and culture allowed to transform. There is time to sift through the rubble of the "old ways" and recoup and preserve crucial elements. However, when change is rapidly imposed or created, the opportunity for dialogue between "old" and "new", the chance to sift, integrate, and to adjust, is lost. Culture and community may fracture, risking valuable knowledge and support. On and individual level, a sense of self, of belonging, of family and community and thus, of health, may suffer.
It is our belief that the success of health improvement initiatives and interventions depends upon their integration into existing understandings and practices. Even when change must be rapid (as in epidemic situations), attending to the effects on individual and community may greatly bolster a program's success.
As to diseases, make a habit of two things: to help—or at least, to do no harm.