Biodiversidade e saúde: o uso dos conhecimentos tradicionais na comunidade Novo Remanso, Itacoatiara-AM

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants is a recurring practice in different sociocultural contexts, especially in traditional communities, where these resources are integrated into daily health care strategies. In Amazonian contexts, such practices are associated with traditional knowledge, transmitted across generations and related to the use of local biodiversity. In this sense, the present study aims to analyze traditional knowledge for the sustainable use of biodiversity for the benefit of human health in the Novo Remanso Community, Itacoatiara-AM. The research adopted a mixed-methods approach, predominantly qualitative, involving the participation of 62 community residents through semi-structured questionnaires, participant observation, and field notes. The results show that the use of medicinal plants is a socially legitimized practice integrated into daily community life, sustained by orality, practical experience, and the intergenerational transmission of knowledge. The role of women and the elderly as the main mediators and guardians of this knowledge is highlighted. It was observed that these practices are not configured as mutually exclusive alternatives to conventional medicine, but rather integrate a complementary care system, being activated according to severity, accessibility to health services, and collective confidence in therapeutic efficacy. The study also identifies challenges to the continuity of this knowledge, related to sociocultural transformations, the reduced involvement of younger generations, and environmental pressures on the territory. It is concluded that traditional knowledge about medicinal plants in Novo Remanso constitutes an active health care system, fundamental for the organization of local practices, the appreciation of biodiversity, and the maintenance of sociocultural identity, contributing to the debate on therapeutic pluralism and sustainability in Amazonian contexts.