Although modern medicine is now established in Asia, traditional medicine also plays a big role in peoples healthcare.
Although modern medicine is now established in Asia, traditional medicine also plays a big role in peoples healthcare. Traditional medicine - a system of ancient medical practice that differs in substance, methodology and philosophy to modern medicine - plays an important role in health maintenance for the peoples of Asia, and is becoming more frequently used in countries in the West.
Within Asia, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the medicinal system with the longest history. TCM was developed through thousands of years of empirical testing and refinement. It was the only medical practice in China before the early nineteenth century, when English missionaries arrived, bringing with them the drugs, devices and practices of modern medicine. TCM encompasses a wide range of practices, including some that are familiar to the West, such as herbal medicine and acupuncture.
Millions of patients around the world use TCM or a related practice. In Hong Kong and Mainland China, approximately 60% of the population has consulted traditional medicine practitioners at least once. Pharmaceutical companies are also taking an active interest in TCM research.
For instance, GlaxoSmithKline (GLAXF.PK) has established a research and development base in Shanghai, China, and is actively seeking to expand its operations in traditional medicine. Most of these companies are hoping to find the next miracle drug like Artemisinin, an anti-malarial drug extracted from the medicinal plant sweet wormwood, which has saved millions of lives.
According to seekingalpha.