Promoting Planetary Health and Well-Being for all: Harnessing Indigenous Knowledges for Health with Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Health Systems

Georg Seifert ^1,2 HIBA BOUJNAH ^1,2* Roshanak Ghods ³ Susan Wieland ⁴ Obijiofor Aginam ⁵ Anchalee Chuthaputti ⁶ Ricardo Ghelman ⁷ Cheng Soon Goh ⁸ Motlalepula Gilbert Matsabisa ⁹ Sione Tu'itahi ¹⁰ Sungchol KIM ¹¹ Shyama Kuruvilla ¹¹ Bhushan Patwardhan ¹²

• ¹ Charité Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (CCCTIM), Berlin, Germany
• ² Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
• ³ Department of Traditional Medicine, Institute for Studies in Medical History Persian and Complementary Medicine, Tehran, Iran
• ⁴ School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• ⁵ United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• ⁶ Department of Thai Traditional and Alternaive Medicine, Ministry of Public Health Thailand, Mueang Nonthaburi, Nonthaburi, Thailand
• ⁷ Department of Medicine on Primary Healthcare of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Medical School, Rio de Janiero, Brazil
• ⁸ Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia
• ⁹ University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
• ¹⁰ Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand
• ¹¹ World Health Organization (Switzerland), Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
• ¹² Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India

The concept of well-being extends beyond individual health practices to encompass a burgeoning industry focusing on healthy lifestyles and products. This trend reflects a global paradigm shift towards prioritizing the holistic well-being of individuals and the planet within socioeconomic policies. This shift underscores the integration of social, economic, and environmental considerations into policy frameworks, signaling a concerted effort towards a more sustainable and health-conscious future. The article highlights the crucial role of Indigenous Knowledges for Health (IKH) and Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Health/ Medicine (TCIH) systems in contributing to the interconnectedness between human well-being and the health of our planet through innovation, health promotion, and fair, equitable and sustainable benefit sharing. Various contemporary global problems stem from ways of thinking that prioritize the short-term economic interests of individuals or specific groups over the well-being of Peoples and the planet as a whole. In contrast, IKH and TCIH systems often inherently adopt a holistic, sustainable worldview where individual, community, and Planetary Health and well-being are intertwined, providing transformative solutions and models towards integrative health. By incorporating IKH and TCIH systems into contemporary development models, health, and medicine, we can promote health equity, improve well-being, and create a sustainable future for Peoples and the planet.