10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Global healthcare systems increasingly face chronic disease burdens, rising costs, workforce shortages, health inequities and environmental sustainability challenges. Within this context, Indigenous Holistic Herbal Medicine representing centuries of accumulated wisdom on medicinal plants, preventive care and the interconnection of physical, emotional, spiritual and environmental health has attracted renewed scholarly attention. Yet many Indigenous knowledge systems face erosion through globalisation, urbanisation, cultural displacement and limited intergenerational transmission. This paper examines Indigenous Holistic Herbal Medicine as a sustainable, culturally responsive component of contemporary healthcare. Drawing on, biodiversity conservation, healthcare accessibility and systemic integration. Findings indicate that Indigenous healing practices offer meaningful contributions to community health, preventive care and equitable healthcare delivery especially for underserved populations. Meaningful integration demands respectful collaboration among Indigenous knowledge holders, healthcare practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. Protecting intellectual property rights, upholding ethical research standardsj and supporting culturally grounded health models are essential to ensuring Indigenous traditions remain living systems rather than historical relics. This paper concludes that sustainable global healthcare depends not only on technological innovation but also on the responsible preservation and integration of Indigenous knowledge systems that have sustained human wellbeing across generations.