The Prince of Wales has defended alternative therapies in an address to the World Health Assembly, after a group of leading UK doctors attacked complementary medicine.
The prince is an advocate of homeopathy
In his speech in Geneva to the World Health Organisation’s decision-making forum, Prince Charles urged foreign health ministers to adopt a more holistic approach to tackling health problems.
Charles’ comments came a day after some British scientists implored the NHS to reject the use of complementary / alternative medicine and only use available funds for treatments “based on solid evidence”.
Michael Baum, emeritus professor of Surgery at University College London, Nobel Prize-winner Sir James Black and 12 other scientists said funding of what they called “disproved or unproven or treatments” in the NHS was unacceptable.
But Charles, a steadfast advocate of complementary & alternative therapies, said in his address: “I believe that the proper mix of proven complementary, traditional and modern remedies, which emphasise the active participation of the patient, can help to create a powerful healing force for our world.
“This is where orthodox practice can learn from complementary medicine, the West can learn from the East and new from old traditions.”