THE WAY FORWARD

To develop a balanced health policy to provide efficient and acceptable health services, we need to understand the diversity of health-seeking behavior of the population in the pluralistic health care system of Pakistan. People have been consulting traditional healers for ages and they will keep on doing so for various reasons. The solution lies only in bringing these CAM healers into the mainstream by providing them with proper training, facilities and

SITUATION IN PAKISTAN:

In Pakistan, over half the population (66%) lives in the rural part of the country. Poverty, compounded by illiteracy, low status of women, and inadequate water and sanitation facilities, has had a deep impact on health indicators. Limited knowledge of health and disease, cultural and household remedies, perceptions of a health service and provider and social barriers, and the cost related to the provision of an effective health service have been the major barriers .

LIMITATION:

The relationship between the conventional allopathic physician and the CAM provider is of rivalry and animosity, just as happens in any other part of the world   Orthodox medicine has never been in favor of traditional medicine; therefore, these practices are denounced vigorously by restricting their access, labeling them as anti scientific and imposing penalties on their practice. Some understandable factors for this rejection include lack of education, training, regulation and the evidence base for CAM practitioners.