Integration of Traditional and Western Medicine in Vietnamese Populations: a Review of Health Perceptions and Therapies

In Vietnam, two types of traditional medicine (TM) are practiced: thuoc nam, medicine of the South, and thuoc bac, medicine of the North, both of which arelargely based on herbal drugs used by different Vietnamese ethnic groups. This review presents recently published information from various databasesregarding TM, especially herbal drugs, and its integration with Western medical practices outside and inside Vietnam. We first discuss the integration oftraditional and modern health concepts by Vietnamese immigrants living outside Vietnam. Next, we describe native and emigrated health education andpractices of pharmacy students, health professionals, and citizens living in Vietnam. Finally, we report the recent biological validation of medicinal plants andnon-herbal therapies emerging from Vietnamese TM and their current and potential medical uses as identified by Western approaches. The main exampledescribed here involves utilization of the tree Artocarpus tonkinensis by the ethnic minority of Black Hmong in northern Vietnam, who use a decoction of itsleaves to treat arthritis and backache without apparent adverse effects. Our comprehensive review emphasizes that, although Vietnam has a very rich collectionof TM practices (particularly the use of herbal drugs), these therapies should be biologically and clinically validated with modern Western methods for optimalintegration of Western and traditional medicine in global populations.