d r c o u e a g n E o C s t D c d s i o g e u r a BMC Public Health 2004, 4 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/4/11 d e g a r u o c n E d e g a r u o c s i D Industrial age medicine Tertiary Secondary Primary Self care (Off the map) Information age health care Professional care Individual SC Family/friends Self-help networks Professional as facilitators Professional as partners Professional as authorities t s o C FCihgaunrgein1g map of health care (Adapted from reference 28) Changing map of health care (Adapted from reference 28) and consultative services. The first SC clearinghouse was established in the US in 1964. By 1987, the number had grown to fifty four in North America [31]. In recent years, SC clearinghouses have been established in several coun- tries [32]. Access to medical care technology and drugs for lay per- son has increased tremendously. In the US, it is estimated that the "do-it-yourself" medical equipment industry is worth 10 billion US dollars [33]. Access to non-prescrip- tion medicine in the UK increased greatly following reclassification of some drugs by the Government from prescription only status to allow sale in pharmacies over the counter during late 1980s. By 1994, sale of over-the- counter drugs was equivalent to one-third of the total drugs bill of the National Health Service. Similar deregu- lation of drugs was implemented in some countries of Europe and North America as well as in Australia and New Zealand, primarily as a measure to pass on some of the costs of health care to consumers [34]. At the international level, the first symposium on SC was held in European headquarter of World Health Organiza- tion (WHO) in Copenhagen in 1975. It examined the lay contribution to health care, clarified roles and functions and identified priority research areas [5]. In 1983, a pub- lication by the European office of the WHO examined var- ious aspects of SC in several countries of the region. [35]. SC is in its infancy in the developing countries Barring a few studies on SC behaviour of individuals, lit- erature on most other SC activities is scarce from develop- ing countries. There has not been any explosion of SC technology and texts. Lay persons are yet to become con- scious of the enormous potential among them for their HP. Professional health system is elitist and lay persons Page 4 of 12 (page number not for citation purposes)