The project aims at studying how people of different Euro-Asian cultures and social groups interpret the causes of symptoms/illnesses, the type of treatment they believe in, and to which they turn in case they become ill, their perception of efficacy, possible side-effects, and costs. The studies involve the population, traditional healers and PHC Doctors. The project uses quali-quantitative research instruments and ethnographic/ comparative approaches.

Each partner, through the ethno-anthropological field studies, will derive a map/inventory of interpretations of selected common illnesses/symptoms ( headache, fever, diarrhoea, joint pains and spontaneous abortion ) along with the popular remedies still in use. Common research tools like semi-structured questionnaires and open interviews are used.