Traditional knowledge experts and healers from Guyana, Suriname and Brazil have launched a first-of-its-kind Regional Traditional Knowledge and Healers Network, following a four-day exchange at the Iwokrama River Lodge.
The network, named the Traditional Knowledge Holders and Healers of the Amazon Network, was formally established during the meeting held from September 8-11, 2026, and facilitated by the Amazon Conservation Team Guianas (ACT Guianas), a release said.
Representatives from Indigenous communities in the three Amazon countries gathered to exchange knowledge on traditional medicines, healing and other cultural health practices, building on two previous exchanges to establish regional organisation, credibility, advocacy and continuity.
The central goal was to create a regional networking platform for Indigenous traditional healers and knowledge holders, supported by clear principles, ethical protocols, communication mechanisms and an advocacy agenda for recognition by governments and health systems.
According to the release, other objectives achieved during the exchange included sharing best practices among traditional healers and Indigenous communities from the three countries, reviewing lessons learned from exchanges over the past four years, strengthening the reliability, credibility and ethical practice of traditional healing across the region, and exploring pathways for government recognition and possible integration with national health systems.
The exchange also gave Guyana and Suriname an opportunity to learn from Brazil's experience with its public health system, the Unified Health System (SUS), which includes a dedicated Indigenous Health Subsystem created in 1999. Brazil also operates a National Policy on Integrative and Complementary Practices under the SUS, which recognises medicinal plants and phytotherapy among its practices.
Proceedings opened with a spiritual cleansing ritual performed by Adele John, a young apprentice from Surama Village, Guyana. Immersion activities in the forests surrounding the Iwokrama River Lodge and working group sessions followed, contributing to a road map for the network's development over the next three years.
The Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development, which hosted the ACT team and the Indigenous healers, said it supports the establishment of the network and its efforts to build an Indigenous knowledge platform and advocate for the integration of Indigenous medicinal knowledge into national healthcare systems.