Despite Everything, Homeopathy Continues Its March to Triumph!As has been true since the time of Hahnemann in the early 1800s, the skeptics, naysayers, and insecure purveyors of "orthodox" medicine and its drugs continue to do everything they can to keep homeopathy down. But the truth of homeopathic cures and the patients who continue to flock to homeopathy keep the flame alive! Here are some recent victories that have made me smile. 1. Switzerland officially acknowledges homeopathy as a valid and important part of its health care system. Perhaps you remember that, a few years ago, I reported on a Swiss study that found homeopathic treatment to be safe, effective, and cost-effective too! Perhaps the famed Swiss stance of neutrality has broadened its application beyond politics into the medical sphere. On March 29, the interior ministry of Switzerland announced plans to give five complementary therapies, including homeopathy, the same status as conventional medicine when it comes to health insurance. An important reason for this decision was that two-thirds of Swiss backed the inclusion of these therapies on the constitutional list of paid health services. The people have spoken! They know what works! 2. India continues to be a model country that gives homeopathy its due. In celebration of World Homeopathy Awareness Week (coinciding with Hahnemann's birthday on April 10), the Indian government hosted an international convention that celebrated the successes of homeopaths and Homeopathy on April 9 and 10. You can watch the ceremonies online. As an American who regularly witnesses the scorn (or more commonly, the complete obliviousness) given to homeopathy in the USA, it filled my heart with amazement and gratitude to watch Indian government officials acknowledge and laud the esteemed homeopaths and homeopathic institutions of its country. The government of India has fully integrated homeopathic medicine into its public health care system, and is providing a model for this integration for nations around the world. It is high time for the USA and other countries to rise to the maturity and wisdom of India. May events like the one held in India be the future of homeopathy worldwide! 3. Americans who DO use homeopathy are quite happy with it! Despite the marginalized status of homeopathy in the US, an important survey on the use of homeopathy and homeopathic medicines in the USA was recently published in the highly respected American Journal of Public Health. The researchers used the 2012 National Health Interview Survey to compare homeopathy users with supplement users and those using other forms of complementary and integrative medicine. Of particular note was that homeopathy users who saw a professional homeopath were significantly more likely to feel that homeopathy was “very important in maintaining health and well-being” and that it helped their health condition “a great deal”. 4. A law is being proposed in New Hampshire to support homeopathic treatment for addiction. Maybe the efficacy of homeopathic treatment and patient satisfaction with homeopathy will slowly make a dent in the USA. Homeopaths in New Hampshire recently testified in support of an amendment to the New Hampshire Opioid Treatment bill that would allow for addiction treatment programs to utilize CHC-certified homeopaths in their program of services for clients and to assist the public in knowing about homeopathy as an adjunct treatment. 5. When it comes to cancer treatment, some homeopathic wisdom may be getting through in the US, because homeopathic protocols from India for cancer treatment were reviewed by American researchers from the US department of health and human services, Office of Global Affairs, National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other US academic institutions as part of the US-India Workshop on Traditional Medicine (March 3-4) in New Delhi. Readers of this newsletter may also recall that Indian protocols for homeopathic cancer treatment were also found to be successful in lab studies at the prestigious Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas . |
