Homeopathy and Integrative Medicine

 

The potential role of TCIH and the popularity of homeopathy

  1. The potential role of Traditional and Complementary medicine in healthcare

The most recent recognition of the potential role of traditional and complementary Integrative Healthcare (TCIM) in the health sector took shape in August 2023 in India during the WHO conference preceding a G20 meeting.

The first-ever World Health Organization (WHO) Traditional Medicine Global Summit 2023 [1] closed on 18 August, with a strong commitment from the diverse and unique groups of partners and stakeholders to harness the potential of evidence-based Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) to improve progress towards universal health coverage and sustainable development goals by 2030 for the health and well-being of people and the planet. The commitment to this strategy was expressed in the Gujarat declaration [2] which was endorsed by the G20 countries.

An article by the WHO cross regional expert panel for TCIM [3] concluded: The evolution in medical systems over the past few decades has led from eminence-based medicine to evidence-based medicine, and is transmuting to increasingly patient-centered medicine. With more focus on preventive and resource-oriented medicine considering the entirety of humans and the ecosystem in the sense of One Health, planetary health, and well-being, TM offers approaches for the promotion of health and well-being. In several regions, experiences of evidence-based integration of TCIM with conventional healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic have been very encouraging. This is the time to break ‘pathy’-based silos to transgress from the EGO system to the ECO system prioritizing mutual respect, public needs, and global good. We may envisage the integration of TCIM and conventional medicine as a modern healthcare system in the future.

The event was preceded by the recognition of the TCIH consortium [4] as being the civil society representative to the WHO [5] for the Traditional and Complementary Medicine sector.

The preferences of patients and the wider public

The WHO concluded in their report that more and more countries are regulating TCM as part of their health service [6]. This is likely driven by the popularity of TCM amongst the members of the public. A recent study gave numbers of between 24 – 70%, remaining steady over time, depending on the country, in a study of 14 countries but suggested this was an underestimate [7].

These studies need to be viewed with the perspective that most patient charters [8] state that patient choice must play an important part in any medical decision, which is in alignment with Evidence-Based Medicine as defined by Sackett et al [9].

The particular popularity of homeopathy throughout the world

The popularity of homeopathy has been consistently maintained.

Worldwide

Worldwide, over 200 million people use homeopathy on a regular basis [1,2].  Homeopathy is included in the national health systems of a number of countries e.g. Brazil, Chile, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Switzerland. Wikipedia, while being very critical of homeopathy, has a comprehensive page on its worldwide regulation and use.

India

India leads in terms of the number of people using homeopathy, with 100 million people depending solely on homeopathy for their medical care [10]. It is noteworthy to point to the steady flow of high-quality peer-reviewed case reports and other articles treating the subject of homeopathy that emanate from India. These can be found in the peer-reviewed journal, Homeopathic Links.

There are currently over 200,000 registered homeopathic doctors, with approximately 12,000 more being added every year [11].

Europe

100 million EU citizens, some 29% of the EU’s population, use homeopathic medicines in their day-to-day healthcare [12,13]. Homeopathy is practised in 40 out of 42 European countries. In recent surveys, more than 50% of the population in several countries want homeopathy to be part of healthcare in one way or another [5].

United Kingdom

10% of people in the UK use homeopathy – an estimated 6 million people  [5]. The market for homeopathy is growing at around 20% per year. In 2007, it was estimated to be worth £38m, and is projected to reach £46m in 2012 [14].

There are approximately 400 doctors in the UK who use homeopathy, regulated by the Faculty of Homeopathy [15]. There are also circa 1,500 professional homeopaths (non-medically qualified homeopathic practitioners) [16], regulated by the Society of Homeopaths (65%), Alliance of Registered Homeopaths and Homeopathic Medical Association. They largely operate in private practice outwith the NHS.

NHS expenditure and research financial data on homeopathy can be found on the HRI website [17].

Bulgaria

A recent survey illustrates the high satisfaction of Doctors, dentists and patients that use homeopathy, and a high satisfaction rate of doctors in their collaboration with those who prescribe homeopathy[18].

United States of America

According to the National Institute of Health, over 6 million people in the United States use homeopathy, mainly for self-care of specific health conditions. Of those, approximately 1 million are children and over 5 million are adults [19,20].

  1. Growth of homeopathy

A market research institute estimated that the global market for homeopathy will grow at a high CAGR of 17.9% over the next 6 years [21].

Especially in India, the growth in popularity of homeopathy is a trend which has been observed for some time, as explained in an article in the Indian Times [22] A recent study in Germany (2023) also demonstrates the increase in trust in homeopathy [23]. A world-wide study by Harris Interactive UK (2023-24) covering urban populations in 11 countries concluded that a high percentage (80%) of users of homeopathy are satisfied and, on average, more than 50% will use homeopathy again in the future [24].

Homeopathy in agriculture

Homeopathy is currently gaining importance in agriculture where its non-toxicity and positive effect on growth and plant and animal health is being examined and used by more and more farmers [25-30].

In countries such as  Brazil, where there is adequate support for the farmers, the use of homeopathy is rapidly gaining popularity. The work of the Brazilian Association of Homeopathy in Agriculture and the Environment – Abhama, in association with the  State University of Santa Catarina, provides an example of this [30].

References

  1. https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2023/08/17/default-calendar/the-first-who-traditional-medicine-global-summit
  2. G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/CPV/G20-New-Delhi-Leaders-Declaration.pdf
  3. Prevalence of Use of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine by the General Population: A Systematic Review of National Studies Published from 2010 to 2019 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9296440/
  4. TCIH consortium tcih.org
  5. TCIH newsroom https://www.tcih.org/newsroom/
  6. WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine 2019 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/978924151536
  7. Prevalence of Use of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine by the General Population: A Systematic Review of National Studies Published from 2010 to 2019 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9296440/
  8. European charter of patient’s rights https://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_overview/co_operation/mobility/docs/health_services_co108_en.pdf
  9. Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn’t https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8555924/
  10. Homeopathy booming in India https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(07)61709-7/fulltext
  11. A short history of the development of homeopathy in India https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20471616/
  12. ECHAMP publications: Homeopathy in Europe: used, appreciated and well-known https://echamp.eu/news-and-events/news/homeopathy-in-europe-used-appreciated-and-well-known and   ‘Homeopathic and Anthroposiphic medicines in Europe: who uses them and why?’ 2023 file:///Users/edwarddebeukelaer/Downloads/2023%20-%20HAMPs%20-%20who%20uses%20and%20why%20(final).pdf
  13. Homeopathic medicinal products. Commission Report to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of Directives 92/73 and 92/74 https://www.hri-research.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Commission_Report_Dir_92-73_and_92-74_Homeo_July_1997.pdf
  14. Professor Woods, MHRA, response to Q211, House of Commons Science and Technology Committee hearing of evidence in preparation of Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy Report (London: The Stationery Office Limited, 2010) https://www.hri-research.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Evidence-Check-2-Homeopathy-report-2010.pdf
  15. Faculty of Homeopathy https://www.facultyofhomeopathy.org/research/
  16. Society of Homeopaths https://homeopathy-soh.org/
  17. HRI. Homeopathy spending data in UK https://www.hri-research.org/resources/essentialevidence/how-much-is-spent-on-homeopathy-research-homeopathy-treatment/
  18. 1 Angelcheva M and Pachova D A Bulgarian study on patients’ and doctors’ satisfaction with the homeopathic method of treatment. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365961616_A_BULGARIAN_STUDY_ON_PATIENTS’_AND_DOCTORS’_SATISFACTION_WITH_THE_HOMEOPATHIC_METHOD_OF_TREATMENT
  19. Black LI, et al. Use of Complementary Health Approaches Among Children Aged 4–17 Years in the United States: National Health Interview Survey, 2007–2012. National Health Statistics Reports, 2015; 78: February https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr078.pdf
  20. Clarke TC, et al. Trends in the Use of Complementary Health Approaches Among Adults: United States, 2002–2012. National Health Statistics Reports, 2015; 79: February https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr079.pdf
  21. https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/homeopathy-market-4970

22.https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/from-conventional-to-natural-medical-system-an-incredible-growth-of-homeopathy-by-2030/

  1. IFD Allensbach https://www.ifd-allensbach.de/
  2. Harris Interactive Research https://harris-interactive.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/07/CP-BOIRON_Toluna-Harris-Interactive_Usage_Homeo_110724_ENG-003-1.pdf
  3. The Potential of Agro-homeopathy Applied to Medicinal Plants—A Review https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331789482_The_Potential_of_Agro-homeopathy_Applied_to_Medicinal_Plants-A_Review
  4. The homeopathy/agroecology nexus: a discourse-centered analysis in a Brazilian agrarian settlement. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44979902?searchText=homeopathy&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3Fscope%3DeyJwYWdlTmFtZSI6ICJEaWFsZWN0aWNhbCBBbnRocm9wb2xvZ3kiLCAicGFnZVVybCI6ICIvam91cm5hbC9kaWFsYW50aCIsICJ0eXBlIjogImpvdXJuYWwiLCAiamNvZGVzIjogImRpYWxhbnRoIn0%253D%26Query%3Dhomeopathy%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A9fa5550356728196ab97c99c2c650889
  5. Systemic Agro-Homeopathy: A New Approach to Agriculture https://www.lidsen.com/journals/icm/icm-06-03-020
  6. Effects of Highly Diluted Substances on Aquatic Animals: A Review. https://waterjournal.org/special-edition/nagai/
  7. Whole Health Agriculture https://wholehealthag.org/

30.  The Brazilian Association of Homeopathy in Agriculture and the Environment https://www.abhama.org/en/icbhaa

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