ew *Corresponding author: Anna Siri, UNESCO Chair in Anthropol- ogy of Health. Biosphere and healing systems, University of Ge- noa, Italy, Tel: +39-328-4233341 Accepted: August 24, 2021 Published online: August 26, 2021 Citaon: Siri A (2021) Ethnomedicine Museums On-Call: How Cultural Heritage is Addressing Health Challenges. Insights Anthropol 5(1):347-356 Insights of Anthropology Open Access | Page 347 | Vol 5 | Issue 1 | Pages 347-356 ISSN: 2578-6482 Copyright: © 2021 Siri A. This is an open-access arcle distributed under the terms of the Creave Commons Aribuon License, which permits unrestricted use, distribuon, and reproducon in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. SCHOLARS. DIRECT DOI: 10.36959/763/521 Ethnomedicine Museums On-Call: How Cultural Heritage is Addressing Health Challenges Anna Siri * UNESCO Chair in Anthropology of Health. Biosphere and healing systems, University of Genoa, Italy Introduction There are many uses of art in the field of health. Tangible and intangible heritage plays a crucial role in the physical and mental wellbeing of individuals and communies in terms of 'perspecve', memory, beauty, and ‘places of refuge’. Many good pracces consider the impact of cultural heritage on people's wellbeing and on the reducon of specific health condions [1,2]: From art therapy to the “re-construcon” of health care places to increase paents' wellbeing following the holisc orientaon indicated by the World Health Organisaon. The concept of humanisaon in health care has developed around this approach and is based on the evoluonary process that has seen changes in the understanding of 'health' and the means used to ensure it. The transion from the biomedical approach to the bio-psycho-social approach has introduced a muldimensional view of health, shiſting the focus from the diseased organ to the individuals, as a whole. It has definively established the principle of the 'centrality of the paent'. In this renewed cultural context, the paent is understood Research Article Abstract The internaonalisaon of diseases and cultural pluralism are increasingly characterising our sociees. This contribuon highlights the role of cultural values in the definion of health and the pracce of caring. Today, an approach to health and wellbeing mediated by anthropology and the medical humanies more generally and supported by the expressions of material and immaterial culture is necessary to review our way of conceiving health and its promoon. In the syllabus of the Health Anthropology teaching provided in Nursing and Midwifery degree courses of the School of Medicine of the University of Genoa, an in-depth study on the care systems in different cultures was included through an experienal acvity carried out at the Museum of Ethnomedicine of the University of Genoa (Italy). The Museum, unicum in the world, collects tradional medicines from the five connents. In order to foster crical thinking in health educaon, students were asked to explore the care systems of other cultures through artefacts, images, and videos in the Museum, in the form of cooperave and collaborave learning. This research aims at evaluang the interest in acquiring anthropological skills in the caring relaonship by healthcare students and the didacc effecveness of an experienal module involving cultural heritage integrated into the tradional teaching course of Health Anthropology. In the last three academic years before the COVID-19 pandemic, 1140 first-year students in Nursing, Paediatric Nursing and Midwifery were involved in this engaging and interacve teaching approach. The pilot study showed a very high level of student sasfacon and underlined the crucial role of heritage mediated by an intercultural approach. A museum experience integrated into a humanisaon of care teaching can be an essenal part of the educaonal toolkit for health professions degree courses. It encourages the development of crucial skills for professional life, such as reflecon or crical thinking skills; it offers a more open and inclusive view of other cultures and pracces of care; it smulates connuous professional development and a constant search for excellence. Keywords Anthropology of health, Science museum, Tradional medicine, Medical students, Visual thinking strategies Check for updates