Traditional medicine for the rich and knowledgeable: challenging assumptions about treatment-seeking behaviour in rural and peri-urban Nepal

Health Policy Plan. 2016 Apr; 31(3): 314–324.

Published online 2015 Jun 29. doi:  10.1093/heapol/czv060

PMCID: PMC4779144

Rikke Stamp Thorsen^* and Mariève Pouliot

Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark

*Corresponding author. Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. E-mail: kd.uk.orfi@htir

Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark

*Corresponding author. Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. 

Abstract

Traditional medicine is commonly assumed to be a crucial health care option for poor households in developing countries. However, little research has been done in Asia to quantify the reliance on traditional medicine and its determinants. This research contributes to filling in this knowledge gap using household survey data collected from 571 households in three rural and peri-urban sites in Nepal in 2012. Questions encompassed household socioeconomic characteristics, illness characteristics, and treatment-seeking behaviour. Treatment choice was investigated through bivariate analyses. Results show that traditional medicine, and especially self-treatment with medicinal plants, prevail as treatment options in both rural and peri-urban populations. Contrarily to what is commonly assumed, high income is an important determinant of use of traditional medicine. Likewise, knowledge of medicinal plants, age, education, gender and illness chronicity were also significant determinants. The importance of self-treatment with medicinal plants should inform the development of health policy tailored to people’s treatment-seeking behaviour.

Keywords: Determinants, health care, medicinal plants, Nepal, self-treatment, South Asia, traditional medicine

Key Messages

• Traditional medicine, and especially self-treatment with medicinal plants, prevail as treatment options for rural as well as peri-urban populations.
• High income and knowledge of medicinal plants are important determinants of use of traditional medicine. This challenges the common assumption that poor and marginalized people are most reliant on traditional medicine due to its availability.
• Future health policies shall consider the high reliance on self-treatment and the importance of knowledge held within the household in relation to this.