Sweden court overturns homeopathy ban

Swedish doctors can treat homeopathically without punishment

28.10.2011

After a doctor in Sweden was sentenced to a probationary sentence for treating a patient with homeopathic medicines, the Supreme Court (Högsta Förvaltningsdomstolen) in Sweden decided to set aside the verdict. According to the court, the doctor acted to the best of his knowledge and the patient was not exposed to any risk from the homeopathic treatment. Details of the illness as well as the therapy were not announced.

The Swedish judges set new standards with their judgment, because so far homeopathy and the delivery of homeopathic medicines were officially banned in Sweden. The Swedish radio (Sveriges) had already reported in advance of the verdict on an opinion of the German Central Association of Homeopathic Physicians (DZVhÄ) on the procedure. „The court's decision is a milestone“, says Cornelia Bajic, chairwoman of the DZVhÄ. „The verdict is likely to end the criminalization of homeopathic physicians in Sweden.“

Swedish doctors can now openly apply homeopathy without risking imprisonment. In addition, the new situation is helping to train more Swedish doctors homeopathically. The development in Sweden is another indicator that homeopathy is steadily gaining acceptance worldwide. Many governments officially recognize homeopathy as a medical cure. These include, for example, in Central and South America Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador and Mexico, India includes India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and in Europe homeopathy is among the most important. a. recognized by the governments of Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland and the UK. In some of these countries, homeopathy is an integral part of the state health system, such as in Brazil, India, Mexico, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and after a referendum in Switzerland. The World Association of Homeopathic Physicians, the League Medicorum Homoeopathica Internationalis (LMHI), has homeopathic physicians and medical associations from over 70 countries as its members - more than half of the United Nations (UN) recognized states. China also opened the door to homeopathy last year.

The repertory of Kent, one of the fundamental works in homeopathy, was translated into Mandarin, the world's most spoken language, and founded a national homeopathic medical association. But there is also a flip side to the coin: in some countries - as has been the case in Sweden - homeopathic doctors are subject to various kinds of repression in their work or in the education and training of their medical colleagues. „As a leading member of the LMHI, the DZVhÄ sees it as its duty to show solidarity with persecuted or oppressed homoeopathic physicians worldwide“, says Bajic. The LMHI organizes the annual „International Homeopathy Day“ in states where homeopathic physicians are disabled. This year, the „International Homeopathy Day“ in Croatia. „The LMHI creates media attention with the International Homeopathy Day and holds talks at the governmental level of each country to improve the situation of homeopathic physicians on the ground“, explains Caroline Geiser, spokeswoman for the LMHI. The aim is that medical homeopathy in these countries is officially recognized as a medical cure, such as in Poland and Slovakia. (DZVhÄ)

Image: Paul-Georg Meister