As regular readers will know I have been covering the funding of homeopathic AIDS trials by the Homeopathic Action Trust (HAT), the charitable arm of the Society of Homeopaths (SoH), for some time. HAT have been aware of my coverage and even invited a reader of my blog, Angus Wood, to give a presentation to them about the issues raised by their activity. The World Health Organisation (WHO) have even criticised these kind of activities.
This did not change anything. Their latest accounts are now available at the Charity Commission website and it is clear that they are still funding homeopaths who believe that sugar pills can successfully treat AIDS and malaria and are now expanding into India.
Health in Africa project
The charity has been fundraising to meet the requirements of what is now the Tanzanian project. With an annual volume of 12,000 patients in the Natural Therapies Centre, Dar Es Salaam, consultant Mr. Sigsbert Rwegasira, experienced in treating patients with homeopathy, is working closely with the team.Africa Project
The projects are now undertaking a new series of research initiatives in Africa and India and are also putting in place a low cost clinic education and support structure for Africa, which involves special remedy kits, training manuals and clinical support. We have assured funding for this for the next year and we are also applying to the Gates Foundation for more funding and also the EU.
The Swaziland Homeopathy Project is one of HAT’s initiatives. In their objectives they very clearly state their intent to perform medical trials on people with an incurable disease who do not have access to appropriate healthcare:
carry out a scientifically verifiable study on the effect of Homeopathy as a treatment for the side effects of the ART
This study, like previous HAT projects, appears to be in breach of the ethical requirements for human trials, not least The Declaration of Helsinki.
The homeopaths at HAT and the SoH are medical fantasists and cargo cult researchers, anybody who thinks they have a role to play in healthcare is very, very wrong.
Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith
