International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Intercultural Bridges: Reflections on Navigating Both Sides; Comment on “Routes of Well-Being, Spiritual Harmony and Recovery in Mental Health: The Community as a Policy-Maker”

Articles in Press

Document Type : Commentary

Author
Blanca Estela Pelcastre-Villafuerte
Center for Health Systems Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
Abstract
The mental health of Indigenous populations in Latin America is a public health issue that has received little attention, which serves to perpetuate discrimination against these peoples. Governments address these gaps and work to reduce health inequalities through public policy and an intercultural approach. Interculturalism generally acknowledges cultural differences but fails to address the root causes of inequality—namely, social structures underpinned by ideologies of discrimination and racism, which have historically relegated Indigenous populations to the lowest levels of the social structure. The concept of “intercultural bridges” is invoked to illustrate the scope of the classical perspective on interculturality and, ultimately, to reflect on the extent to which integrating the traditional medicine model with the Western biomedical model can promote the well-being of these populations.
Keywords
Critical Interculturality
Traditional Medicine
Western Medicine
Structures of Inequality
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International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 17 October 2026

  • Received Date 21 July 2026
  • Revised Date 02 October 2026
  • Accepted Date 05 October 2026
  • First Published Date 17 October 2026
  • Published Date 17 October 2026