**7.2. Perception of safety**

Generally, many lay users have the opinion that HMs are safe and carry no risk or side effects. Though HMs are natural products derived from plant materials, minerals and some animal matter, this belief is nevertheless erroneous as many HMs are not totally devoid of adverse effects. While, it is true that many HMs are comparatively more tolerable than pharmaceutical drugs especially in long time use for the management of chronic ailments [30, 31]. Studies have shown that in some countries such as South Africa and Ghana, herbalists far outnumber the conventional medical doctors, whereas in India, China, and Vietnam, the number of herbalists and the conventional doctors are comparable.
