Lobbying by European Committee for Homeopathy

European Committee for Homeopathy

ECH

The European Committee for Homeopathy represents medical doctors, pharmacists, veterinarians and agronomists specialized in homeopathy, organized in 40 associations in 28 European countries.

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ID: 28998516721-93

Lobbying Activity

Response to A comprehensive approach to mental health

8 Feb 2023

European doctors who have expertise in homeopathy appreciate the importance that the EU places on mental health. Prevention of mental health problems through the provision of better overall living conditions will benefit the population and also the performance of the EU. With regard to treatment, the mental health aspect of illness is not always sufficiently recognised. This may be due to a lack of effective and efficient treatment options for mental health conditions. The traditional and complementary health sector in general, and homeopathy in particular, offer such effective and efficient solutions that help patients to regain their normal mental health balance. Current trends in Integrative Medicine illustrate an increased awareness of the need for support for the individuality and the mental aspect of the patient. In order to improve health service outcomes though the development of a multidisciplinary Integrative Medicine approach, there needs to be research into the contribution which this largely overlooked sector can make. Further, this multidisciplinary approach should aim at creating health. Creating health is a different perspective from treating illness. In creating health, the aim of treatments is to improve the resilience of the patient, and people, to both the mental and physical challenges of life, which includes pressures from infections and pollution. This is in line with the emerging definition of health (1). In this approach the centre of the health service becomes the relation between the physician and the patient. This individual and personal relationship is considered to play an essential role in improving outcomes. Hence, the quality of this relationship needs primary consideration above any value technical or means may bring. The creating health perspective will change research questions and approaches to chronic illness (of which mental health is an important part) which in turn will result in the reduction of the number of people having to rely on the health services, thereby also providing a cost benefit. This is because the aim of the creating health approach is to provide treatments and approaches that result in patients and people becoming more resilient or, in other words, more self-sufficient, and thereby also providing a cost benefit for healthcare services. In needs to be considered that the resilience of health services is strongly linked to the resilience of the population. The sector not only offers a wide range of interesting and effective solutions (2,3) but will also contribute to a reduction of the pressure on the environment resulting from the use of pharmaceutical medication. (1)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5346014/ (2)https://www.hri-research.org/hri-research/completed-projects/depression/ (3) https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-016-1104-2#group-1

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Response to List of antimicrobials reserved for treatment of certain infections in humans

6 May 2022

We support the decision by the EU to reduce the use of antibiotics in farm animals. We would like to draw the attention of the EU to the fact that still many actors in veterinary medicine rely on the use of antibiotics for the treatment of infectious conditions and animal welfare. We therefore urge that this legislation also states that there is a duty in the EU research objectives to support the veterinary profession in exploring all alternative approaches to the management of infectious illness, especially treatment approaches that aim at restoring a normal and efficient immune system. Such an efficient immune system reduces the sensitivity of animals to infectious pressures of all kind and therefore reduces the need to rely on treatments that aim at eliminating infectious agents as infectious agents are part of normal life. Integration of integrative medicine at the universities in teaching and research is in the sense of the patients, of the EU organic farming regulation (EU) 2018/848, of the One Health Action Plan against AMR of the EU Commission and of the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014 – 2023. Evidence-based integrative veterinary/human medicine is forward-looking in terms of the One Health approach which needs to be integrated at all levels of scientific and daily practice. References: • JPIAMR Network Plus 2020. Network T&CM alternatives for antibiotics worldwide: Global Initiative for Traditional Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance (GIFTS-AMR). https://www.jpiamr.eu/gifts-amr/ • World Health Organisation WHO 2013. Traditional Medicine Strategy: 2014–2023. https://www.who.int/health-topics/traditional-complementary-and-integrative-medicine#tab=tab_1 • European Commission 2017. A European One Health Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Brussels, Belgium. https://ec.europa.eu/health/system/files/2020-01/amr_2017_action-plan_0.pdf • Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007. Brussels, Belgium. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32018R0848 • Weiermayer P., Frass M., Peinbauer T., Ellinger L 2020. Evidence-based human homeopathy and veterinary homeopathy, and their potential to help overcome the problem of antibiotic resistance – an overview. Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd 162(10):597-610. https://sat.gstsvs.ch/fileadmin//datapool_upload/IgJournal/Artikel/SAT_10_2020_Weiermayer_EN_03.pdf

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Response to Pharmaceutical Strategy - Timely patient access to affordable medicines

7 Jul 2020

The European Committee for Homeopathy (ECH) represents all medical doctors, pharmacists and veterinarians specialized in homeopathy, organized in 40 associations in 25 European countries. Its aims are: • Promoting the scientific development of homeopathy • Ensuring high standards in the education, training, and practice of homeopathy by medical doctors • Harmonising professional standards in homeopathic practice across Europe • Providing high-quality homeopathic care in a medical context • Integrating high-quality homeopathy into European healthcare The ECH welcomes the European Commission “Pharmaceutical Strategy - Timely patient access to affordable medicines” and considers that this initiative should address the following issues: • The availability of safe and high-quality homeopathic medicinal products. • A harmonised system of nomenclature for homeopathic medicines to ensure that there is no confusion over the source material throughout the Europe Union. • The appropriate labelling of homeopathic medicinal products. • The information on homeopathic medicinal products for health practitioners, pharmacists, and patient organisations. • The production of pharmacopoeia monographs on homeopathic medicinal products. • The support to the Homeopathic Medicinal Product Working Group initiatives, specially concerning first safe dilutions and homeopathic use. • The certification of “starting materials” to ensure the pharmaceutical quality of homeopathic medicinal products. • The development of appropriate harmonized training programmes for homeopathic pharmacists and support staff across Europe.

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