Kathmandu, Jan. 19 -- Rajesh Thakur, a barber by profession, has been suffering from high blood pressure for the past several months, but has not yet started the prescribed medication. Instead, he relies on home remedies, which doctors say do not control blood pressure effectively and leave patients at risk of serious complications such as strike, heart attack, or paralysis.

"When I suffer from a severe headache, I take painkillers tablets, bitterguard, and aloe vera to lower the blood pressure," said Thakur, who is 41 years old. "I am told that once started, medicines for blood pressure cannot be stopped until death, which people like me cannot afford."

When told that taking painkillers frequently could even risk multiorgan failure, an...