THE HEALTH STATUS AND LIVING conditions in emerging economies, some times called developing countries, have changed considerably because of the rapid growth of the biomedical healthcare infrastructure and accul turation and globalization. Despite this, the previous emphasis that focuses on biological sciences alone in the prevention of and intervention in matters related to disease has not borne the expected results. "Health for All by the Year 2000"2 has proven to be an unat tainable aspiration. Whilst smallpox appeared to have been eradicated from all corners of the world, many communicable diseases remain endemic and multiple antibiotic resistance has become a major public health issue.3 In the midst of proliferating infectious diseas es, there is also the 'silent epidemic' of non-commu nicable diseases, often precipitated and exacerbated by an individual's behaviour and life style. There are a range of disorders that are often collectively referred to as "stress-induced" illnesses, which seem to stem from the way people respond to adverse environmen tal factors.4 There are also aspects of human behaviour such as smoking and reckless driving, which can result in serious distress and often fatal diseases.