WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE

REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC

BUREAU REGIONAL DU PACIFIQUE OCCIDENTAL

REGIONAL COMMITTEE

Thirty-sixth session Manila 16-20 September 1985

KIRIBATI REPORT

ON

WPR/RC36/TD/INF DOC/3 16 September 1985

TRADITIONAL MEDICINE (HERBS)

aAPPO&T DE Kl&IIATI

sua

LA atDICUII T&ADltlOIIMILLI (P.U LIS PUJITIS)

, ... ....,. ........ , ........... C8Mt6 ..... C. lllie .... ftl M CeMUiwe .... UN .. ff CIIICA

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.. w..-. ..... OfiiPIII:.... A..-IN ..... I'Orgu .. IW UU .. II tie II ....... Ld •"·Yii

.,. ,.,,, rt'r .., ... 11 11111 • ....., ...... ..., ............. .................... . .. ........ ......

Kiri ba.ti Tra.ch tional r.Iedicine (Herbs)

Historical backgpound

Prior to the 1900 witch crai't in various forms has been -the means or

healing and killing in Kiribati. "Na.rea.u." the powerful god of the Kiribati people

ha.s been the cen-tre for making the above processes possible. other gods have been

introduced at a. latter date by those vih.o have travelled on Trading Ships to Fiji

a.nd. the Soloman Isla.n\l.s. In 1874 another C'.od was introduced by tho missionaries

from London, "London 1-'lissiona.ry Soci~~ty ( LMS) 11 •

Na.reau had other associates as Taburima.i, Tu.tuabine, a.nd. A.uria.ria \mO are

believed to asaist in the execution of the healing/killing activities so re~red

by the person who is linked with. Ua.reau. the Great.

The a.rriva.l of Dr. Hiram Beingbam in 1874 introduodd a. new God. whose ~·s

are completely the opposite to Na.reau the grea.t. The canmuni t;y. even though they

accepted the western God, Na.reau the Great was deeply ingrained in them.

Their confidence has been shaken but to completely ignore one, i.s out of the

question.

Herbists,existed and practised freely until the introduction of west~n

medicine. 'tlestern Medicine gained popula.ri ty a.nd I4edica.l. a.uthori ties ma.d.e rulin.g

that any form of Tradi. tional healing is punishable by La.w.

Herbists 1l!10ngst others, i.e. bone setters, massagers and e:x:ocists _,

continued to practise under cover a.."ll thus made it possible for "fakes" to

operate unscreened. The result was tha.t most of' the operators cannot perform ,~

effecti vel.y for fea.r of being found and. the "fakes" thived only to produce a A

higher failure rate in thei.l.• per-formances, causing a fall in community confidence.

Western Medicine increased in popularity and the locals were sent fo~

tra.inine in Fiji in the 1920s to return as Na.ti ve Medical Pra.cti tionars (:m.w).

This develoiJilent created a. "look do•m" attitude amongst the trained locals on

their own resources and skills.

In 1980 the year after independence of Kiribati, it dawned tha.t western

medicineS' is expensive a.nd 'the new nation cannot a.:f'ford such services. Retro.­

pective view refleated the neglected resources and recommended its full utilisa­

tion. This is in accol•dance to tlv:l 11oll known Primary Health Ca.re Context.

Government uent into the process of stu.dyi..ng how these skills can be used

appropriately • It was observed that the communi ties ha.ve their own Tra.di tiona.l

- 2-

healers in their O\'ln setting a.n;1 h3.ve con:tidence in them that they see them first

or later depending on their ini tiu.l move when seeking help. The Commi1itee cozr.

aidering this study finallY agreed that people should be given the freedom to

choose •o to attend to them. 1-le::::tern or Local.

With the implementation o:f the National Health and Famil,y Planning

Services System 1982-1986 ba.sed on the Prima.ry Health Care Appl .. Oach1 it has been

considered appropriate to utilise all available and accepted methods of health

care services in the country.

Tradi tioua.J. healing methods have come into the limelight and emphasi s

on identification of cases by the trad.i tionaJ. healers at t he periphery must h)

made and. filtered to health personnels once its beyond theil' capability. To

facilitate this screenine mechanism health Education programs have been intensi­

fied to create awareness in the communities on diseases and hea.lth related pro­

blems.

The in·fiergra.tion of' health and health related activities and ma.npower in

western medicine and trad.i tion.a.l skills ha.s formed a. teaz~Horork tha.t caters for

most of the needs of the people.

Herbist pley an importa.nJ~ role. Their knouledge on the local plants

usa.ge to counter or destroy is recOi}rised. 'l'lw major pa.rt is ma.inly on, counter­

ing the effects of those who try to destroy and the illness a.ccpired due to other

factors. They have identified the local plants and ~xpla.ined to the comanmit ies

their uses in the m..."'I.Ss media..

Such outright announcement is ~te impressive because traditionallY

these are done onl;Y" amongst the family as a. f'amil,y tradition to keep it only in

the familY• l·ialcy' factors p~ in this open announcement.

Listed below are the leaves commonly used for healing purposes.

1. Te non Morinda. citrifolia.

2. Te uri Guetturd.a. speciosa

3. Te ka.i.na ( pa.nda.nus) Pandanus bectorius

4· Te mai (breadfruit tips) - Artoca.rpus altilis

5· Te. ka.koko (coconut l ea.f, ~ young new leaf)

6. Te kia.ou. - Triumfeta procumbens

7. Ten Tanini Ca.sytha filiformis

8. Te kana.wa. Cordia subcorda.ta

9· Te mtea Portulaca. quadri f ida

10. Te Boi

11 • Te ru.lat

12. Te inato

13. Te ia.ro

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Portulaca oleracea

Ca.na:va.lia inoph.yllum

Clerodendron inerine

Gra.ptophyllum Hortense

The rituals involved in the preparation of the above herbs vary with the

type of condi tiona encountered. In most instances the identification of lea.V'es

and their preparation prcesses v1ere made known to the herbist in the form of a.

dream to oure a. certain condition. This information is remembered by the

herbist and uses them on similar ca.::;es presented to them.

A.s fa.r as one ca.n see the Primary Health Care approach utilises the

local resources initially and. only refers the cases which are out of their scope~

This not only heals the picy'sica.lly ill but a.lso cater for the social aspect and

tra.di tional beliefs.: of the oOIIIJlUll.i ties. The welfare o£ the communi ties a.re well

catered for in the light of coomunity perceptions and belief's. One mq consider

this as an appropriate \'183" of approach to a.ltchieve the health for all by 2000

Goa.l.

.In 1980 Dr. Polunin arrived in Kiribati aJid. studied the atoll herbs. He

found tha.t there are 99 different types of plants available in Kiribati see

alphabetical list and island of occurance locally. Exhibit 1.

With this in mind government is looking into the appropriate u.ses of

tMBe skills and knowledge to alleviate the high costs incurred in the pu.rcha.se

of drugs etc.

!nevi tal:il.y assistance in this area. technically >rill be a. need. In

country development oi\. such rese.:u·Gh, fi.Ila.neia.l a.asiata.n.ce . will certainly be most appropriate.

Analysis .... The Atoll Research Unit 1 the Research and Development su.pport section

of the Ministry of Health and the Research unit of the Ministcy of Natural Resources

a.nd. Developnent a.re looking into vJa\Y"S of' analysing the local ple..nt leaves in order

to identify the substances present and try to relate them to ·~he effects prodUced

when u.sed in certa.:i.%1 conditions. This requires ca.pita.l f'und.s. This nation will

not be a.ble to a.fford this sort of exercise. The transportation of' local leaves

to other cen·tres will involve a. lot of a.dmjnjstra.tive red tape procedures that

-vTill result in· d.issa.ppointment.

EXHIBIT I

GILBERTESE LATIN NAME OCCURENCE

Te a.itoa. Lumnitzera li ttorea. R. - Buta.ri-ta..ri

Te ane (Life Pla.nt) Pryophyllum pinna.tum + c Te an go Promna tahitiensis s Te a.oua J.lira.bilis jalapa. :!: c Te a.ronga. .Aca.:cypla.a hispida c

A. wilkesia.na

Te ba.bai Cytosperma chamissonis c Te ba.irea.ti Ba.rringtonia. asiatica. R

Te bam Palm species V.,Re

Te banana Musa. pa.rad.i sica. c Te ba.raki Pcysali s minima. c Te bauld.n (Pumpkin) CUcurbi ta maxima. c Te beneka ~psicum frutescens 0

Te bero (Wild Fig) l!"'icus tinctora. 0

Te biku. (F'ig) Ficus oa.rica R

Te bin Plcy'salis mipjma c Te bingi bing Thespesia. populnea V.R.

Te bita.ti J a.sminium sambao V.R. Te boi Portulaca. olera.cea. c Te boi Sesuviwn portula.ca.strum - Nikunau

Te buangi Brugiera. eriopeta.la. B

Te buk.a. Pisonia. gra.ndi.s L.c. Te bukare Ruppia. ma.ri tima. - Nilamau

Te bura.roti Ca.tharanthua roseus c

Te taro Gratophyllum hortense c Te ina. to Clerodendron inerme c Te iraro Gra.ptoPQyllum pictum 0

Te ita.i Ca.lo~llum ino~llum 0

Te ka.bekau Euphorbia. heteropnylla 0

Te ka.ibalce Nicotia.na. ta.ba.cum R

Te k.a.i. ba.un Russelia. junoea. 0

We kaiboia. Dodonaea. viscosa. +0 -

GlLBBRWSE

Te ka.ika.rewe

Te ka.imatu

Te ka.ina. Pand..a.nus

Te ka.na.wa.

Te ka.teketeke

Te kaura

Te kaura ni ba.n.a.ba n II II

're keang

Te keang

"

Te kiaia.i Hibiscus

Te kiaou.

Te kiebu

Te kima.ra.wa.

Te kitoko

Te kwna.ra.

Te k:uni.k:un

Te mao (Salt Bush)

Te ma.i (Brea.d.truit)

Te mam

Te ma.nko (Ma.ngo)

Te ma.kema.ke

Te ma.rou.

Te ma.unei

II U

Te maria.

Te motinima.e

Te motiti

Te mtea.

·re mwemwea.ra.

'l'e ngea ( Irom1ood)

Te ni (coconut)

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LATIN NAME

Saccharum officinarum

Phyllanthus simplex

Pandanus species

Cordia subcordata

Centhrus oa.lycula.tus

Sida. falla.x

Abutilon indicum

Uedelia. arista.ta.

Cymodacoa. serryla.ta

Pol.ypoditun phyma.tod.es

Hibiscus tilia.ceous

'Pri'Wllphetta procumbena

Crimum Peduncula.tum

Psilotum triqp.etrum

Canavalia obtusifolia

Ipomoea ba.ta.ta.s

Terminalia. ca.ta.ppa

Scaevola. frutescens

Artocarpus species

Jussioua angustifolia

Ha.ngifera indica.

~ra.cca. pinna.tifida.

Ocinium basilicum

Eleocharis retroflex

Scirpus mu.crona.tus

Plumiera. a.cwnina.ta

.-trtoca.rpus species (a.ltilis)

Gomphrena globosa

Portulaca. qua.drifida

Carica. pa.~a.

Perophis accidula.

Cocos nucifera

OCClJRENCE

R

c A

+ c c c R

c + c

c 0

c s R

s R

s c c c v.R. 0

R

c 0

c

0

s c c

c A

GILBERTESE

Te nima.reburebu.

Te non

Te-nta.nini

Te orian

Te pa.p~ (~)

Te ra.im

Te rao (H:ibiscus)

Te ra.uti

Te ren

Te ritanin

Te robu

Te roti (Hibiscus)

Te rulru. II tl

II II

Te ruru

Te taororo

Te ta.raa.:i.

" " Te toa.ra.

Te tonga

" " (Mangrove) Te tua.

Te ukin

Te uri

Te urini tia.na.

Te uteute II II

II " It II

It II

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LATIN NAME

Hernandia ovigera or Peltata

I·Iorind.a. ci trifolia

Cassytha filiforme

Ueriwn oleander

Carica. pa.P31)"a

Citrus medica

Hibiscus tiliaceoua

Taetsia fruticooa (l<iesserschmidia. Argentea.)

Tournfortia argentea

Ma.riscus pennatus

Fouroroya gigantea

Hibiscus rosa.-sinensis

Ca.na.va.lia. inophyllum

Impomoea. bono-pox

I • pes-ca.pra.e

Crinurn peduncula.tum

Coloca.sia. anti~orum

1\lphorbia. atoto

E. hirta

Polyaoiaa ~lfoylei

Bruguiera. eriopeta.la

Hihizophora. mucrona.ta.

Deloni.x regia.

Coccoloba. sp.

Guettarda speciosa

Da.tura. fastuosa.

Di~~taria pruriens

Eleusine ind.i<;a.

Oldenlan.d.ia paniculata.

Paspa.lum distichum

Veornonia. cinerea

OCCURENCE

s c c

0

c

R

- A.baiang

0

c 0

V.R. c s c 0

s

o-c c 0

0

R

c 0

c c R

R

+C

?

0

s

~ILBERTESE

Te uteute-a.ine

Te uteute-mane

Te uti

-4-

h~TIN NAPIE OCCURENCE

Eragrostis amabilis v. plumosa v.c. l?imbristylis complana.ta. A

Stachytarpheta. jamai.cen.sis 0

Boerhaa.via tetandra C

B. repens C

Notes (Sources)

1 • Traditional Healers 1 .1. Nabeta:ri tram Nikunau. -

Nikuna.u Legend Story Teller

1.2. Teibeaitu !ram Marakei- Bone setter

1.3. Kama.ld.; from Ma.ia.na. - Evil spells pro·C;eotor

1.4. Tetiria from Marakei- ~erbist

1.5. Teang from Marakei. - Pain remover

1.6. Tebitaka.ra.wa. trom Ma.ra.kei. - Traditional.

Birth Attender.

2 • Ata.nrj(>i Ba.i teke tr001 Ma.rakei - DeputJ; Seoreta.r,y Ministry of

Fo1'eisu Aff'a.it"s, Roving Ambassador Republic of

Kiribati.

3. Bruce Ratieta. - A.ssi~ta.nt Agricultural Of'f'icer1 Ta.ra.wa..