Congratulations to the Voice of Young Science Network, a part of Sense About Science, whose open letter to the World Health Organization has received a response.

The letter, which is available here, called for the body to issue a clear international statement regarding the use of homeopathy in the developing world.

The WHO has done exactly that, and made it explicitly clear that where homeopathy is used as a preventative or treatment for HIV, TB, influenza, malaria and infant diarrhoea, lives are at risk. The office of Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the WHO, has stated that the following responses “clearly express the WHO’s position”:

Dr Mario Raviglione, Director, Stop TB Department, WHO: “Our evidence-based WHO TB treatment/management guidelines, as well as the International Standards of Tuberculosis Care (ISTC) do not recommend use of homeopathy.” Dr Mukund Uplekar, TB Strategy and Health Systems, WHO: “WHO’s evidence-based guidelines on treatment of tuberculosis…have no place for homeopathic medicines.” Dr Teguest Guerma, Director Ad Interim, HIV/AIDS Department, WHO: “The WHO Dept. of HIV/AIDS invests considerable human and financial resources […] to ensure access to evidence-based medical information and to clinically proven, efficacious, and safe treatment for HIV… Let me end by congratulating the young clinicians and researchers of Sense About Science for their efforts to ensure evidence-based approaches to treating and caring for people living with HIV.” Dr Sergio Spinaci, Associate Director, Global Malaria Programme, WHO: “Thanks for the amazing documentation and for whistle blowing on this issue… The Global Malaria programme recommends that malaria is treated following the WHO Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria.” Joe Martines, on behalf of Dr Elizabeth Mason, Director, Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development, WHO: “We have found no evidence to date that homeopathy would bring any benefit to the treatment of diarrhoea in children…Homeopathy does not focus on the treatment and prevention of dehydration – in total contradiction with the scientific basis and our recommendations for the management of diarrhoea.”

Cue the quacks and their attitude to science, which – given the above, is best described as TLDR. Dr. Sarah Holmes, president of the UK’s Faculty of Homeopathy, has said that “further research and investment into homeopathy” is needed.

Paula Ross, chief executive of the Society of Homeopaths, said that Sense About Science has “failed to do its homework,” mentioning that there is “a strong and growing evidence base for homeopathy,” and that the letter to the WHO was “just another poorly wrapped attempt to discredit homeopathy by Sense About Science.”

It’s alright Paula, we don’t need Sense About Science to discredit homeopathy. Your society’s intellectual dishonesty in the name of exploiting the vulnerable has got it covered.

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