World health organisation — Herbolario Kallawaya: A Bridge Between Ancestral and Biomedical Medicine

In Cochabamba, Bolivia, Kallawaya healer Abelino Paucar Pacheco, a fourth-generation herbal doctor and guardian of more than 240 medicinal plants, treats chronic illnesses with Andean remedies passed down through centuries. Officially recognized and integrated as a traditional doctor within the national healthcare system, he collaborates with biomedical clinics while preserving rituals, plant-based cures, and holistic practices.

Beyond healing, he passes this legacy on to his 14-year-old granddaughter, Azucena, ensuring that ancestral knowledge continues to thrive within a modern framework of intercultural health.