Long-awaited English translation of Swiss study endorses evidence for homeopathy

• Swiss government enacts public desire to include homeopathy in state-backed health insurance
• Personal testimonies reinforce: ‘it works!’

Only recently published, the English translation of the 2006 Swiss Health Technology Assessment (HTA) report on homeopathy offers a clear endorsement of the benefits of this form of complementary medicine.

This important report addresses the evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathic therapy in everyday use (i.e. the real world), its safety and its cost-effectiveness.

The authors, Doctor Gudrun Bornhöft and Professor Peter Matthiessen, state: “There is sufficient evidence for the preclinical effectiveness and the clinical efficacy of homeopathy and for its safety and economy compared with conventional treatment.”

Following on from the initial publication of this report, a public referendum in Switzerland in 2009 supported the inclusion of homeopathy and other complementary and alternative medicines in the Swiss national health insurance, with 67% of the people voting in favour. Earlier this month, the Swiss government passed legislation to enact the referendum’s conclusion.

The 234-page HTA report exhaustively reviews the clinical research in homeopathy. It includes a summary of 22 systematic reviews of clinical trials, 20 of which show a positive direction of evidence for homeopathy. And an assessment of the original clinical trials of homeopathy in allergies and upper respiratory tract infections provides supporting evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment for these conditions.

Homeopathy’s effectiveness in treating allergies is backed by personal testimonies. Jenny, a 31 year old mother from Perthshire in Scotland who had suffered from severe allergic reactions since childhood, sought help from homeopathy after becoming immune to an increasing number of conventional anti-histamine medications. Following a consultation at an NHS clinic with a doctor who had also trained in homeopathy, Jenny was prescribed homeopathic medicine specifically to counter her allergies. Since the treatment, she’s not had an allergic reaction in over two years. Jenny credits homeopathy with curing her condition and says that “My only regret is that I didn’t seek help from a homeopath sooner, as I’m convinced it would have saved me from years of discomfort and illness”.

Speaking on behalf of the UK’s Faculty of Homeopathy, President Dr Sara Eames said:

“The publication of the Swiss HTA report on homeopathy in English makes an important contribution to the field of homeopathy research. Its thorough and constructive approach will contribute to informing patients, doctors and decision-makers who are evaluating homeopathy. Bornhöft and Matthiessen have given us an academically rigorous document which will enlighten more and better quality research in homeopathy.”

The study was commissioned by Switzerland’s Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) as part of an overall evaluation of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs).

for additional information on this article visit the British Homeopathic Association.