BETWEEN THE DIGITAL AND THE ANCESTRAL: A BIOETHICAL REFLECTION ON HEALTH CARE IN QUILOMBOLA COMMUNITIES

Abstract

 Quilombola communities — rural Afro-descendant communities in Brazil, historically formed by enslaved people in resistance — have developed health care practices throughout their history that include specific rituals. This study aims to reflect, from a bioethical perspective, on the integration of ancestral knowledge and new health technologies in quilombola communities, highlighting their culturally meaningful care practices. This is a theoretical and documentary study addressing the health of the quilombola population, ancestral knowledge in health care, and the analysis of articles of UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, which are fundamental to building ethical and culturally sensitive health practices. The principles of Intervention Bioethics and Protection Bioethics guide the bioethical reflections developed here. As a result, the study identified the need for an intersection between traditional knowledge and digital technologies, in order to ensure that these communities have access to health innovations, including modern diagnostic methods and treatments, while ensuring that such resources are adapted to the local cultural reality. It is essential to incorporate digital health and innovation strategies into Primary Health Care within Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS), safeguarding ancestral knowledge and enhancing the effectiveness of health care through a model that integrates traditional practices and technological innovations.