Well being outgrows health values
Health systems are being questioned in at least two important ways in the western world. The first, and most evident, is the financial problems governments face upon supporting health public systems. Administration issues on this matter have affected countries in Europe and the United States and, in countries like Mexico the problem has exceeded public institutions that are now not capable of offering the appropriate services. The pharma industry around the world may be affected by this as they struggle to place their drugs on the market after a long period of research and investment. Managing t o stay positioned, contributing to better solving medical issues and making a business of this activity is no easy job. In some countries the path chosen, or that is more appealing to some governments, is the privatization of some or most of the health care system. Health cost will fall more on every persons pocket. This is a complex situation, but not much marketing strategy is involves, so we will only address it as a context vision of the situation. The other issue we will address, with more marketing value is the cultural and conceptual change that is happening in a less evident way, but with a very high impact.
Since around the end of the 70’s there has been a growing interest in alternative or tradictional health systems, and it is something that has been growing in a constant and dynamic way. You have preventive practices like Yoga, Tai Chi, Pialtes, meditation as well as the intake of natural foods, or you have therapeutic alternatives like acupunture, homeopathy, and many other technics (magnets, pendulums, Reiki, etc.). In 2007 the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) said that 8 out of 0 people in Mexico use some sort of herb as a medical remedy for some discomfort before going to a physician.
The world scene is not much different. In 2003 Edzard Ernst published in the Medical Journal of Australia that close to 50% of the worlds population in developed counties use alternative medicine. The actual forecast is that more than 50% of the worlds population uses this type of medicine and that the number is growing at a fast pace. Almost half of the medicine schools in developed countries are now offering training courses in alternative medicine and the World Health Organization (WHO) has calculated that 70% to 90% of the worlds population use alternative medicine.
Is conventional medicine and it’s scientific, modern and professional jargon loosing the battle against a health approach sometimes labeled as a home remedy with no ground, no proof method and many times questioned for being no more than a placebo? We believe there is a more profound and interesting phenomena here that deals with value and cultural social changes.
Proyecto Noesis Int 