This work examines some of the most significant health problems facing South Asia today and provides an assessment of the ways these problems are approached by those directly engaged in primary health care. This series of essays demonstrates the relevance of anthropological research to international health and the application of anthropological theory in medical anthropology. Recognizing the significance of cultural aspects in the practice of medicine, this book places a strong emphasis on the social structure, customs and history of the indigenous population and its ramifications on health care providers. The book also considers the econo-cultural influences on the way medicine is practiced. By including chapters that focus on health care's sudden advent as commodity and the microeconomic approach to public funding for health care facilities, the authors explore a world in which money and patients' expectations play an ever increasing role in the way health care is provided.