Horta medicinal na saúde da família: resgatando saberes e sentidos das plantas medicinais - relato de experiência / Medicinal vegetable garden in Family Health: rescuing the knowledge and senses of medicinal plants - an experience repor

Objetivo: Descrever a experiência da implantação de uma horta medicinal em uma Unidade de Saúde de um município baiano. Método: relato de experiência da implantação em 3 etapas: reuniões de planejamento, realização de oficinas e a implantação da horta. Resultados e Discussão: As oficinas evidenciaram práticas inseguras relacionadas ao uso de plantas medicinais concomitante com medicamentos alopáticos e substituição do fármaco pelo tratamento com as plantas. Conclusão: a implantação da horta possibilitou a discussão entre a comunidade e os profissionais da unidade sobre o uso de plantas medicinais trazendo a reflexão sobre o resgate de saberes e sentidos das plantas medicinais.

Objective: To describe the experience of implementing a medicinal vegetable garden in a Health Unit in a municipality in Bahia. Method: Experience report of the implementation in 3 stages: planning meetings, holding workshops and setting up the vegetable garden. Results and Discussion: the workshops highlighted unsafe practices related to the use of medicinal plants by users, as well as concomitant use with allopathic drugs and substitution of the drug by treatment with the plants. Conclusion: The implementation of the garden made possible the discussion between the community and the professionals of the unit about the use of medicinal plants bringing the reflection on the rescue of knowledge and senses of medicinal plants.

Species with medicinal and mystical-religious uses in São Francisco do Conde, Bahia, Brazil: a contribution to the selection of species for introduction into the local Unified Health System

We investigated the knowledge and practices of local residents in São Francisco do Conde, Bahia, regarding the use of medicinal and mystical plants with the aim of proposing strategies for the incorporation of phytotherapies into the local Unified Health System through local Basic Health Clinics. This municipality was founded during the early colonization of Brazil, introducing the monoculture of sugarcane and slave labor to the region, resulting in a currently largely Afro-Brazilian population. Key informants and local specialists were interviewed and workshops were undertaken at the Basic Health Clinics to collect data and information. The interviewees made 254 references to 126 plant species distributed among 107 genera and 50 families. Among the species cited with medicinal or mystical uses, 51.6% were considered autochtonous, and 42.8% were cited in at least one document of the Brazilian Health Ministry; of these, 11.1% were mentioned in four to eight documents, indicating potential for introduction to the local Unified Health System. The valorization of local knowledge and practices concerning the use of medicinal plants represents an important approach to public health efforts.