Los Naturistas-Healers Who Integrate Traditional and Biomedical Explanations in Their Treatment in the Bolivian Health Care System.

Medical pluralism is a common feature in most health care systems. In this system integration and exchanges between sectors are common, thus forming complex and hybrid systems. This paper analyses such a pluralistic system, and is based on an anthropological study involving participant observation and ethnographic interviews. The research focuses on a group of healers-Los Naturistas from urban Bolivia. They are Mestizos and serve the Indian and Indian Mestizo population. The study findings suggest they integrate explanatory models from both the traditional Andean medicine and biomedicine, but are selective in the sicknesses they treat. They predominantly use herbal medicine. As a group of healers Los Naturistas are establishing their specific place in the Bolivian health care system.