Avatar:Healthcare in the World of Avatar
📚
This article was imported from Avatar Wiki under the CC-BY-SA license.
📎 View original · 📅 Imported: 2025-12-22
<infobox> <image source="image" /> <title source="name"><default>Healthcare in the World of Avatar</default></title> <group> <header>General information</header> <label>Type</label> <label>Examples</label> </group>
<group collapse="closed">
<header>More about the World of Avatar</header>
<navigation>{| width="100%" style="text-align:center; background-color:#FFFFFF;"
| width="50%"" |
Avatar
Bending arts
Earth
Four nations
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
Geography
History
Map
Spirit World
|}</navigation>
<header>Government</header>
<navigation>{| width="100%" style="text-align:center; background-color:#FFFFFF;"
| width="50%" |
Currency
Economy
Education
Law and order
Military ranks
Occupations
| style="vertical-align:top; |
Organizations
Politics
Propaganda
Society
Weaponry
|}</navigation>
<header>Culture</header>
<navigation>{| width="100%" style="text-align:center; background-color:#FFFFFF;"
| width="50%" |
Architecture
Arts
Body markings
Cuisine
Disability
Fashion
Gender and sexuality
Martial arts
Migration
| style="vertical-align:top; |
Music
Names
Piracy
Recreation
Slang
Songs
Spiritual beliefs
Transportation
Writing
|}</navigation>
<header>Science</header>
<navigation>{| width="100%" style="text-align:center; background-color:#FFFFFF;"
| width="50%" |
Astronomy
Fauna
Flora
| style="vertical-align:top; |
Healthcare
Science
Technology
|}</navigation>
</group>
<header></header> </infobox> Healthcare treatments vary greatly throughout the world. In many cases, access to complex care can be prohibitive for the poorest members of society.[1][2] However, treatment is much more readily available in the Water Tribes, which have traditionally had many waterbender healers.[3][4]
Healthcare can be delivered with bending, medicine, or surgery. Scientific development has helped to advance medicine, with healthcare providers delivering treatments using new technologies.[5] Some healthcare providers still focus on traditional, therapeutic forms of medicine, which focus on balancing the patient's chi.[6]
Treatments are often provided by private, independent doctors or healers.[1][2] Some cultures have community-based approaches toward healthcare, or are willing to provide more of it through charitable means.[7][8]
Approaches
Air Nomads
The Air Nomads had infirmaries at their temples. Healers were able to handle fevers, and put effort into making their patients comfortable.[9]
After the Platinum Affair, the Northern Air Temple built a large hospital in a town below so that they could treat people who escaped Bin-Er. There was a considerable charity drive in an effort to fund the building.[8]
Within the Northern Air Temple town's hospital, monks made sure to burn incense to ward off the stench of decay. One monk was tasked to use his airbending to keep a breeze circulating for the patients. Despite the efforts of various attendants at the hospital, it became stretched beyond its capacity. In these conditions, Avatar Yangchen's knowledge of healing with waterbending was invaluable to patients.[8]
The new Air Nation had trained healers among the Air Acolytes. Acolyte women helped Pema to deliver Rohan while Air Temple Island was being threatened by the Equalists.[10]
Water Tribe
The Northern Water Tribe has the best healers in the world.[3] Traditionally, all waterbender girls in Agna Qel'a learn to use their skill for healing purposes, and start their training at a very young age.[11][12]
The North's specialization in healing has produced several pioneers, experts, and specialists in the field. Their healers can save people from otherwise fatal wounds, and help patients recover fully from otherwise life-changing injuries.[3][13] Some people from other nations have been known to travel to the North for specialist treatment,[3] while Northern doctors have sometimes acted as personal medical aides overseas.[14]
During the Hundred Year War, the Southern Water Tribe had to rely on methods other than waterbending for healing, as all their benders had been killed or captured in Fire Nation raids. This led to some people hoping to develop new medical curatives to compensate for the lack of waterbender healers.[15] Villages began to rely on nonbender healers to make rubbing pastes to treat colds,[16] or other herbal treatments for various conditions.[17] New mothers were often helped by other women in the village when they gave birth.[7]
After the war, the South's waterbending population started to recover, and the tribe began to rely more on waterbenders' healing. Katara maintained a healing hut, and treated many wounded rebels during the Water Tribe Civil War.[4] Katara also knew how to provide physical therapy, and helped Avatar Korra to walk again after she was greatly weakened from her fight with the Red Lotus.[18]
The Foggy Swamp Tribe has alchemical herbs which can be made into healing balms.[15]
Earth Kingdom
The availability of healthcare in the Earth Kingdom depends on the level of urbanization and wealth. In the most rural areas, healers travel from village to village by ostrich horse and wagon.[2] Some villages can support their own hospitals or country doctors,[19][20] while larger towns and cities often have many medical professionals.[1] In larger cities, income can be a serious barrier to healthcare. Avatar Yangchen donated a substantial portion of her diplomatic mission's budget to treat one woman who had a bad fall,[1] and Jin had to pay for her grandfather's medicine on credit.[2] Some doctors perform without a license in the most deprived areas, such as Loongkau, in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se.[21]
Medicine in the Earth Kingdom is usually made from plants or animal body parts.[2] There are many trained herbalists in the Earth Kingdom,[2] with some of them having been trained at centers like the herbalist institute in Taku before the town's ruin.[22]
Therapeutic or spiritually-focused care is also common in the Earth Kingdom. Such treatments include hot cupping,[19] acupuncture, moxibustion,[6][23] and massages.[24] Other establishments are focused on beauty treatments, such as mud baths, pedicures, saunas, and makeovers.[24]
Fire Nation
Much like the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation has traditionally relied on country doctors and local hospitals. There were several hospitals on Ma'inka Island, and Earl Lohi offered to take Yangchen to one after the Saowon clan's children were cursed by the phoenix-eel spirits.[25] Therapeutic treatments like massages are provided in the Fire Nation Royal Palace's spa.[26]
By the time of the Hundred Year War, the Fire Nation had dedicated mental health facilities.[27][28] However, several patients admitted lacked genuine mental health issues. Teenage girls like the Fire Warriors were often institutionalized because they were too rebellious for their traditionalist families. Their stays were supposed to be lessons in humility, and having respect for others.[29]
Bhanti Island has a cavern with a pool of water that can heal the gravest of injuries. The Bhanti sages used this to heal Avatar Korra.[30]
United Republic of Nations
There are several hospitals in Republic City.[31] Clinics in the city's boroughs provide both physical and mental healthcare to locals, and can focus on both preventative and emergency care.[32] Nevertheless, affordability remains a serious obstacle to accessing healthcare. Organizers like Kya provide free clinics in low-income areas like the Dragon Flats borough, but they run on a shoestring budget, and remain overcrowded and understaffed.[32]
Due to its cosmopolitan nature, Republic City is able to employ many waterbender healers as first responders.[31] The city is also at the forefront of medicinal and surgical advances. By around 128 AG, Yakone had complex plastic surgery to alter his appearance.[5]
Some politicians like Ailani also took interest in policies that could improve public health. Ailani supported community gardens in Republic City, since they provide a source of medicinal herbs or fresh produce in communities that would otherwise have limited access to them.[33]
Other
Jasmine Island
By 174 AG, Jasmine Island's protectors duties included responding to health emergencies.[34]
Notable doctors, healers, and medics
Notable clinics, hospitals, and apothecaries
- Farming village hospital
- Herbalist institute, Taku
- Hu Yuan Apothecary[2]
- Kya's Free Clinic, Dragon Flats borough
References
|