CAM Use From Western and Asian Perspectives: Overview of Different Cultural Beliefs of CAM Medicine and Prevalence of Use

Prevalence Of Cam Use

The prevalence of the use of CAM varies between countries due to economic, cultural and social factors. For example, in countries where CAM has cultural and historical influences, such as Singapore and Korea, although orthodox health care systems are quite well established, 76% and 86% of their population still use TCM (World Health Organisation, 2012). CAMs are widely used and valued around the globe. These medicines, which are often proven to be safe, ensures that all people have access to care, when many have no access to orthodox medicine. For example, the ratio of traditional healers to population in Africa is 1:500 whilst to medical doctors it is 1:40,000 (Abdullahi, 2011). Indeed for many millions of people, herbal medicines and traditional treatments are the main, and sometimes only source of healthcare (World Health Organisation, 2014). Furthermore, it is argued that CAM may reduce healthcare costs and contribute to the economic development of a number of countries, thanks to not only the agriculture incentive to grow herbs, but also to the internet which has made buying herbs and other CAM products easier globally (World Health Organisation, 2014).