FRAMEWORK

TRADITIONAL HEALTHCARE INTEGRATION NETWORK FRAMEWORK

THIN dedicates sustainable resources and sharing of information that brings Advanced Knowledge, Practices and Products to the people who need them most.

Given the opportunity, indigenous peoples are quick to adopt new products and technologies and incorporate them into local culture agricultural practices and rational use of the environmental. As active participants in global partnership programmes that enhance holistic systems based healthcare, these community members are both students and teachers.

THIN’s activities centre around issues and agenda of global and regional concern.
o Human health
o Livestock Health and Productivity
o Food Security
o Biological Diversity Conservation
o Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
o Poverty Alleviation (Sustainable Livelihoods)
o Institutional and Individual Capacity Building









HUMAN HEALTH PROGRAMME (HHP)

THIN TO FOSTER
• Research into methods, practices, and materials used in traditional medicine;
• Investigation of the pharmacological activities of the plant materials employed and the active principles involved - through use of pharmacological tests, chemical structures, syntheses and probable chemical modifications;
• Multidisciplinary chemical studies and guidelines on safety and efficacy of traditional remedies used by the healers;
• Development of traditional medicine research protocols for adaptation to facilitate evaluation, comparison (with other pharmacopoeas) and follow-up of research results;
• Effective use of ethno-pharmacological data and plant-based materials currently used in traditional medicine;
• Documentation and dissemination of methods of traditional Medical and Health practices, including collection, preparation, dosages/posology, toxicity, antidotes etc;
• Rapid technological advances for setting up Natural products screening groups around the country capable of screening hundreds of thousands of biological/Natural products against specific agents;
• Curricula for teaching ethno-medicine and Healthcare in educational systems at all levels;
• A full set of guidelines, protocols and standards to ensure that those providing care are appropriately trained and had necessary skills, competency in their profession;
• Strategies to involve Traditional Health practices in disease, prevention and Healthcare
• Promotion of mobile clinics
• Favourable policies and working environment for traditional healers and other health providers;
• A multi-secteral approach to health-disease prevention and management including creation and maintenance of awareness;
• Provision of basic health services at all levels including homoepathy and self-medication;
• Platforms for continuous interactions between Health Policy Makers, modern practitioners, traditional healers, researchers, scholars and other stakeholders;
• Establishment of libraries, archives, herbaria, museums for traditional medicine and artifacts including demonstration/resource centers for learning;
• Promotion of income and self-promoting activities in the area of health;
• Promotion of referral systems where conventional medical practitioners and other health providers have a list of traditional healers and where they live so that they can refer patients for community based healthcare follow-ups;
• Technical co-operation through exchange of information, training and research/extension personnel between individuals and centers in order to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experiences of traditional/complementary medicine;
• Promotion of clinical audit and confidential enquiries;
• A help line and website;
• A strong rapport with the media, corporate sector, volunteers, individuals, Government entities, NGOs, CBOs and other stakeholders to work to understand the full range of needs for an informed healthy community.






FOOD AND NUTRITION PROGRAMME (FANP)

THIN TO FOSTER:
• Availability of good quality foods and balanced diets;
• Accessible clean safe water;
• Promotion and documentation of naturally occurring dietary food supplements and prophylactics;
• Promotion of edible nutritious but less known plants growing in the country;
• Correction of Nutritional deficiencies by using surveys and educational about better nutritional habits;
• Availability of improved seeds and genetic diversity;
• Access to reliable local sources of seeds to replenish damaged ones during calamities;
• Tailoring new varieties more closely to diverse local food preferences and markets;
• Breeding and germ plasm exchange with farmer to farmer, national as well as international partners to raise the nutritional value and reduce disease susceptibility;
• New knowledge to make work on crop improvement effective;
• Dissemination of new integrated knowledge, skills and tools to farmers in order to help them meet 'those' - threats instead of relying on monocroping which increases vulnerability of food production in the face of evolving pests, diseases and global climatic changes;
• Training materials on principles and production of small-scale seed enterprises;
• Combining indigenous knowledge (IK) of biopesticides with research findings in crop rotation/protection, stored products and preservation;
• Promotion of Value-Added to Agricultural produce for growth markets;
• Promotion of micro-loans to get started on their own farms and market access assistance to help them sell their surpluses and crops and generate income for their families;
• Promotion of local demonstration centers for learning and sustainability of the programmes
• A comprehensive food policy.

LIVESTOCK HEALTH AND PRODUCTION PROGRAMME

THIN TO FOSTER
• Evaluation, documentation and dissemination of useful traditional Veterinary/Livestock health practices and borrow from them;
• Promotion of useful indigenous knowledge of diagnosis and therapeutics that prove sustainable;
• Evaluation of natural products for control of Livestock pests and epidemics;
• Promotion and conservation of alternative fodder crops;
• Research on naturally occurring growth promoters and Livestock prophylactics;
• Ticks and tsetse vector research at various levels to ensure sustainability of integrated control;
• Integrated management and control of Livestock diseases and epidemics using disease vector G.I.S. spatial distribution;
• Quality feeds, Housing and Hygiene;
• Promotion of mobile clinics and camps;
• Promotion of demonstration/learning centers in the communities;
• Training and dissemination in Livestock management practices at all levels



PLANT HEALTH MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME (PHEMP)

THIN TO FOSTER
• Use of organic fertilizers, green manure;
• Use of legumes and intercropping practices for restoration of soil fertility and soil biota;
• Increase genetic diversity leading to superior crops;
• A market-driven strategy for crop breeding;
• Participatory research and Gender Analysis (PRGA) for Agricultural Productivity;
• Use of botanicals as insect repellants, antifeedants, growth regulators (as pests and disease control agents);
• Use of natural enemies for plant pest and pathogens;
• Promotion of strategies incorporating indigenous knowledge (IK) to ease intensive weed, pest and disease pressures brought about by intensive market oriented agriculture,
• Integration of Biotechnology into problem research;
• Multi-institutional alliances for combating major threats to Agriculture in Kenya and beyond;
• Strengthening partnerships, networks of scientific professionals, indigenous knowledge and users of the technologies through selected trainings;
• A comprehensive Land Policy;
• Designing and laying of drainage systems in swampy stream banks, plant drought tolerant crops in sandy soils and plant water tolerant crops in waterlogged areas.




ENVRIONMENTAL HEALTH AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMME (EHACOP)

THIN TO FOSTER
• Filth and fly population dynamics and suppression strategies
• Environmental pollution reduction through composting pits for wastes of organic nature and construction of pits for human wastes;
• Environmental measurements, assessments and protocols for reduction of pollutants in terms of types, geographical scale and estimated values;
• Identification of threatened cultural practices that are supportive of conservation and utilization of biodiversity;
• Bio-safe knowledge and solutions to new environmental and biotechnology products;
• Cultivation of selected multi purpose botanicals for households as well as commercial purposes;
• Conservation and preservation of endangered species of botanicals used in pesticidal and medicinal purposes;
• Planting appropriate species of trees in semi-arid, arid, sandy and waterlogged lands, schools, commercial estates, churches, recreational areas for enhancement of recreational and aesthetic opportunities;
• Advocate non-cultivation on steep slopes, river edges and encroaching of forest estates to prevent soil erosion and loss of fertility;
• Promotion of forestry on rangelands to ensure forage for livestock and fuel for pastoralists;
• Promotion of planting of wood-fuel for industrial purposes, such as textile, medicine, fibres, oils, resins and building materials etc;
• Promotion of nursery techniques and protocols, propagation and distribution (community-based commercial nurseries, large scale propagation with partners) at different levels and scales of African Natural Resources e.g. home medicinal and nutritional gardens, community-based commercial production of Natural Products etc;
• Reliable ways to monitor soil fertility;
• Integration of farmers perspectives on soil quality, environmental degradation with those of other scientists;
• Management of soil organisms and monitoring their valuable contribution to human and environmental welfare and ecosystem health;
• Promotion of keeping of honey-bees for enhanced pollination and production of honey;
• Designing of new management strategies that enhance the soil ecosystem functions such as carbon storage, which reduces emission of green gases;
• Comprehensive assessment of status of medicinal and nutritional plants and products for healthcare provision;
• Promotion of sustainable utilization of resources and biodiversity by identification of stakeholders and co-management plans;
• Initiation of income-generating and self-motivating activities in the area of conservation and diversity;
• Demonstration and teaching centers for communities and practitioners;
• A comprehensive environmental and biodiversity conservation policy.










CAPACITY AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING PROGRAMME (CAIBP)

Overall objective: To develop on individual capacity and strengthen institutional capabilities through Health oriented Research and Adaptation (RAAD) for complementary Health Management strategies that are environmentally safe, socially acceptable/accessible by end users with full community participation.

THIN TO FOSTER

• Generation and dissemination of new knowledge and technologies through multidisciplinary programmes/projects and adaptive research strategies;
• Various trainings to Community Groups, Schools, Colleges, NGO's including Trainers of Trainees (TOTs),
• Facilitation of post training activities through grants, internships, exchange visits/programmes and specialized courses at all levels;
• Expansion of Networks for partner institutions;
• In house trainings for staff and seminars/courses for various participants;
• Strengthen trainings in Traditional Medicine, Environmental Health, Agriculture, Resource Management and Income generation at all levels;
• Rapport with media in order to continuously and correctly inform, educate the public and policy makers;
• Technical co-operation through exchange of information, trainings and research personnel between countries in order to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experiences;
• Comprehensive staff relations, management and welfare to motivate and sustain their morale.



COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PROGRAMME (COMPP)

Rationale
Participatory Methods for Action Research (PMAR) makes a strong interface in THINS' projects and programmes.

Such research strategies conducted with partner organizations, Government entities, NGOs, CBOs, individuals and the corporate sector in selected rural communities becomes the primary means of ensuring that valuable lessons learned about improving Health, Food and Nutrition, Managing Natural Resources, Agro-enterprises, the needs of the changing world remain relevant and what has been learnt can be readily adapted and applied in other countries for overall attainment of adequate HEALTH.

THIN TO FOSTER:

• Promotion of platforms for continuous interactions between health providers, traditional people, modern practitioners, farmers, researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders;
• Development of methodologies for community participation in the programmes and projects e.g. signing of memorandums and agreements;
• Enhancement of policy legislation and other mechanisms for equitable benefit sharing/compensation for indigenous innovative knowledge in areas of Health, Agriculture and Biodiversity utilization;
• Strengthening the role of women in medicinal and nutritional plants conservation and safe traditional health systems;
• Advocating pressure groups and defined terms of trade;
• Initiation of incentives/award schemes for biodiversity conservation (rights, information, charitable, financial);
• Establishment of a set of principles for use that respects the ethical, legal and sociological interests of those concerned, in particular, the people living in the area where the projects are being executed;
• Promotion of lectures on ethnic cultures - past and present, including documentation, story telling on Health, Biodiversity and related subjects;
• Facilitation of large-scale disaster and emergency aid and anti/direct poverty reduction activities/programmes;
• Establishment of model village libraries.