Posted in August 2009
LouiseZeus
Dear Homeopathic Colleague
Homeopathy has suffered a very serious attack. The Voices of Young Science, a UK based group from Sense About Science, dedicated to eliminating homeopathy, sent a letter to the World Health Organization asking WHO to condemn homoeopathy in developing countries, especially in the areas of influenza, childhood diarrhoea, malaria and AIDS.
WHO replied last week with statements from various Departmental Heads saying there is no indication of effectiveness of homoeopathy in any of these areas. VoYS has circulated the response of WHO to the media and have amplified the letter as if it is a public announcement from WHO, WHICH IT IS NOT. Additionally, VoYS has stated on its website that it will be contacting the Health Ministries of all countries in the world to let them know about the WHO response and press them to condemn homoeopathy in their country.
The BBC online then spread this false item, as WHO Warns Against Homeopathy Use They have since apologised and admitted that it was hasty and mistaken in posting the article as an official statement, without checking the facts and without balancing the article with input from official homeopathy organizations, and have changed the headline.
But the original BBC version has been picked up by newspapers worldwide and every day more and more online sites and blogs are copying the article. If we let this go it will be too late, people will believe this dirty trick campaign.
We are asking you to do two actions immediately:
Protest to the bbc and newspapers spreading this article:
1. Please send emails or letters to the BBC complaint department AND to other newspapers publishing the statement. Tell them that this headline is false and BBC has since changed the article. (Below see: BBC response and list of Media reporting the article)
Email : newsonline.complaints@bbc.co.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/handle.shtml
Launch a mass protest to world health organization:
It is important that WHO hear from as MANY INDIVIDUALS AS POSSIBLE
- Read the attached letter which has been sent by “homeopathy lives!” to who.
- Adapt it to your own wording, while keeping the main points. It is best to have a variety of letters. Don’t forget to sign you name.
- Send it to one or more of the who email addresses below
Please forward this article to all of your homoeopathy contacts. Please blind copy the email addresses and erase the sender email address. Please ask your patients to join the protest.
Just Forwarding is not enough! Make sure to send at least two letters.
It is important that the homoeopathy community around the world stand up against this malicious attack.
Why this needs your action now
If you are living in the US or have no contact with developing countries, you may wonder why this is an important issue for you to act upon. In fact some suggest that no response be made and that we continue to focus our energies on our good work.
However, this attack is different
1. This is a group (VoYS) that is aggressively dedicated to destroying homoeopathy. They have stated this on their website and in their letter to their members announcing the WHO letter. While located in the UK, they are reaching out to all countries. They have tried to influence India and right now they have specifically targeted several homoeopathy projects in Africa. They contact governmental offices, national health ministries, academic medical departments and other organizations in these countries and warn them against homoeopathy using distortion and half truths. They use every means at their disposal to disrupt or end the projects. They have only one goal-to end homeopathy in the world and they are effective and dangerous to homoeopathy.
2. Existing homoeopathy projects will suffer because of these attacks, hindering raising of funds and initiating research. We are a holistic healing community. When one of our practitioners or one location of our profession is attacked, it is an attack against all of us. Just as we would not turn our backs on treating patients with acute attacks of cholera or malaria, who without homeopathic treatment might die, we should not be complacent about this group. This is a serious acute attack and needs a like response.
3. These attacks are coming because homoeopathy is gaining approval and popularity. We must be ready to stand firmly beside the good work that we are doing and be ready to assure that all people, especially those in developing countries, have access to this healing modality. If we do not respond this could affect each and every one of us.
Please take action now
WHO Contacts
- Director General Dr. Margaret Chan Media Officer Fadela Chaib chaibf@who.int
- Mr A. Etukudo, Division of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at the World Health Organisation’s regional office in Congo, Africa regafro@afro.who.int
- Dr Elisabeth Mason, Director Department of Child & Adolescent Health Development masone@who.int
- Dr Mukund Uplekar, TB Strategy and Health Systems, uplekar@who.int
- Dr Sergio Spinaci, Associate Director, Global Malaria Programme spinacis@who.int.
- Dr Mario Raviglione, Director, Stop TB Department Press Contact Glenn Thomas thomasg@who.int
- Dr Teguest Guerma, Director Ad Interim, HIV/AIDS Department, Press contact Valeri Abramov abramovv@who.int
BBC response to complaint:
Many thanks for your e-mail. We have since updated this report and it now includes two comments putting the case for homeopathy – one referring to treatment for diarrhoea – although we accept that it would have been desirable to have had these in the article earlier.
It became clear from correspondence that some readers found the original headline – WHO warns against homeopathy use – ambiguous, and this has been altered to reflect the fact that people are being urged not to rely on homeopathy.
Best wishes,
BBC News website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/handle.shtml
Media who published original bbc article
- BBC online Homeopathy not a cure, says WHO
- BMJ WHO warns against using homoeopathy to treat serious diseases
- The Independent Steve Connor: Lack of waves causes ripples of excitement
- Kaiser Family Foundation WHO Recommends Against Using Homeopathic Treatments For HIV, TB, Malaria, Influenza, Infant Diarrhea
- USA Today WHO warns against homeopathy treatments
- Rocket News WHO warns against homeopathy use
- Digital Journal Medics Condemn Homeopathic Treatments
- Newser WHO Sounds Alarm on Homeopathy
- World News Network WHO warns against homeopathy use
- Drugs and Diseases Homeopathy not a cure, says WHO
- NetDoctor Homeopathy ‘not a cure’ for disease
- The Millenium Project WHO does not recommend the use of homeopathy for HIV, malaria, TB, influenza and infant diarrhoea
- hc2d.co.uk Homeopathy not recommended by WHO
- PharmiWeb.com Homeopathy: No Science, No Proof, No Cure
- Ghana Broadcasting Corporation WHO warns against homeopathy use
- Kenya Broadcasting Corporation WHO warns against homeopathy use
- El Pais, Spain La OMS desaconseja el uso de la homeopatia para el tratamiento del sida o la malaria
- NU.nl WHO waarschuwt voor homeopathie
- Eesti Paevaleht, Estonia WHO hoiatab HIVi ja malaaria homoopaatilise ravi eest
- Helsingin Sanomat, Finland WHO varoittaa homeopaattisista hoidoista
- Corriere della Sera, Italy Oms: preoccupazione per la diffusione dellâ omeopatia nel terzo mondo
- Delfi, Lithuania Pasauline sveikatos organizacija ispeja del homeopatijos naudojimo
- Polskie Radio, Poland WHO ostrzega przed homeopatia
- Journal of Turkish Weekly WHO warns against homeopathy use
- The Times of India Homeopathy doesn’t help in HIV, TB, malaria
- Thaindian News, Thailand People with HIV, TB, malaria should not rely on homeopathy, says WHO
- The News, Pakistan WHO warns against homeopathy treatments
- Estadao.com.br, Brazil OMS alerta para risco de homeopatia contra Aids e malaria
- Excelsior, Mexico Desaconseja OMS homeopatia para sida, tuberculosis o malaria
- Radio Netherlands Worldwide Sceptics want homeopathy banned in Africa, RADIO INTERVIEW
- Times of India Daily August 25th 2009
LouiseZeus
Email : louise13@zeusinfoservice.com
http://www.zeusinfoservice.com
Forwarded by : Dr.Abhishek Udani
Email : abhishek_udani@yahoo.co.in
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