Traditional vs. non-traditional healing for minor and major morbidities in India: uses, cost and quality comparisons.

Objectives: To examine the uses, cost and quality of care of traditional healing for short-term morbidities and major morbidities in India and to compare them with the non-traditional healing.

Methods: We used data from a nationally representative survey, the India Human Development Survey (2004-2005) and descriptive as well as bivariate analyses for the examination.

Results: Use of traditional healing is much less common than use of non-traditional healing in both rural and urban areas and across all socio-economic and demographic characteristics; it is slightly more common in rural than urban areas for short-term morbidities. Use of traditional healing is relatively more frequent for cataract (especially in rural areas), leprosy, asthma, polio, paralysis, epilepsy and mental illnesses; its total cost of care and mean waiting time (in the health facility) are substantially lower than for non-traditional healing. Among patients who use both traditional and non-traditional healing, a relatively higher proportion use traditional healing complemented by non-traditional healing for short-term illnesses, but vice versa for major morbidities.

Conclusion: This is the first study which has investigated at the national level the uses, complementarities, cost and quality aspects of traditional and non-traditional healing in India. Traditional healing is more affordable and pro-poor. Relatively higher use of traditional healing in patients from poorly educated as well as poor households and suffering from diseases, such as, epilepsy and mental illnesses; and higher demand for traditional healing for the above diseases highlight the need for research/policy reorientation in India.