ABSTRACT
The Southern Silk Route covers contiguous areas in China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and India and its revitalization will have an impact on overall healthcare in all these countries partly due to their diversity. For each disease category and each therapeutic stage the ‘problems and possibilities’ of a rejuvenated silk route have been identified. Some actions that may include changes in existing structures and processes have been developed in order to minimize the problems and enhance the possibilities. With fast developing economic activity in the region the demands for primary care will increase. Successful innovations in healthcare in one region may get more readily diffused as people learn more about them. For instance, there has been much use of microfinance in delivering basic healthcare to households in Bangladesh. One of the industry sectors that could benefit a lot from a rejuvenated Southern Silk Route is traditional medicine.
