Use of Homeopathy in the World and Turkiye
Homeopathy continues to be used safely by a large number of users all over the world after its founder Dr. Samuel Hahnemann discovered it in the late 17th century. In this article, we will share information about the use of homeopathy in other countries in the world and in our country Turkey…
Use of Homeopathy in the World
More than 200 million people worldwide are known to use homeopathic treatment. Among the most widely used countries is India…
India and Homeopathy
India has always been at the forefront as a country where homeopathy is widely used. In order to provide more precise information on this subject, the following information was obtained in a study conducted in 2019 (1);
A literature review of surveys and articles was conducted to assess the morbidity trends in India and the treatment modalities sought by patients, and the results of this study showed that homeopathy in India is well represented in public health and ranks second among AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) services. Homeopathy health centers account for 31% of the total for AYUSH. Seven out of 10 diseases considered as a national health burden are in the category of most frequently reported diseases in homeopathy health centers. Academic homeopathy institutes account for 35.8% of AYUSH colleges with a total student intake of 13,658 and 32,256 respectively.
Homeopathy practitioners account for 37% of the AYUSH total. Homeopathy units account for 1/19 of the number of allopathic units.
As a result, homeopathic services are fully utilized wherever possible, thus sharing the patient burden in state-run wellness centers. More homeopathic practitioners have the potential to contribute significantly to healthcare delivery in India.
Another study (2) on the development of homoeopathy in India and the number of registered homeopaths is from 2010 and this article states
Homeopathy was introduced in India in the early 19th century. It first developed in Bengal and then spread throughout India. Initially, the system was practiced extensively by amateurs in the civil and military services and others. Mahendra Lal Sircar was the first Indian to become a homeopathic doctor. A number of allopathic doctors began homeopathic practice following Sircar’s leadership. The first homeopathic medical college, the ‘Calcutta Homeopathic Medical College’, was established in 1881. This institution played an important role in popularizing homeopathy in India. In 1973, the Government of India recognized homeopathy as one of the national systems of medicine and established the Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH) to regulate its education and practice. Now, only qualified registered homeopaths can practice homeopathy in India. Currently in India, homeopathy is the third most popular medical treatment after allopathy and Ayurveda. There are now more than 200,000 registered homeopathic doctors, with about 12,000 more being added every year.
The two articles we have cited, 10 years apart, show that homeopathy is becoming more and more popular in India.
Europe and Homeopathy
Homeopathy first started in Germany and then continued its journey in Europe with the establishment of schools in the UK. Today, three out of every four Europeans know homeopathy and 29% of them prefer homeopathy for their health care…
Recent data on the use of homeopathy in Europe (3)…
Countries with average or above average homeopathic prescriptions per capita include Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania and Poland.
Three out of four Europeans know about homeopathy and 29% of them use it for health care (European Commission study 1997) – that’s 15 million European citizens using homeopathic medicinal products in the EU 100.
ESS 2014 survey data confirms that 7.6% of the EU population (around 40 million citizens) used homeopathy in the last twelve months – countries with higher user rates include France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Belgium and Lithuania.
Latest market data
94% of Germans have heard of homeopathic medicines and 56% have used them (Kantar TNS 2018)
More than 80% of Italians know homeopathy and 16% use it at least once a year (EMG Acqua 2016, 2018)
77% of the French have used homeopathy and 69% trust it, 40% have used it for more than 10 years (Boiron, IPSOS)
65% of Spaniards have heard of homeopathy and 33% have used it, 27% occasionally or regularly; (Revista Medica de Homeopatia 2012)
69% of Belgian households use homeopathic medicines (Boiron 2013)
62% of Austrians have used homeopathic remedies (GfK, 2018)
80% of the British population are aware of homeopathy and 15% have used it (British Homeopathic Association 2015).
America and Homeopathy
According to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, a comprehensive survey of the use of complementary health approaches by Americans, an estimated 5 million adults and 1 million children used homeopathy in the previous year. The 2012 survey also reported that although about 1.8 percent of children used homeopathy, only 0.2 percent of children reported seeing a homeopathic practitioner. A 2016 analysis of data from this survey shows that most adults who use homeopathic products self-prescribe them for colds and musculoskeletal pain.
The homeopathic products market size is expected to reach approximately US$19.7 billion by 2030, with growth projected at 12.3% over the forecast period 2021 to 2030.(4)
Homeopathy in Turkey
Homeopathy, which today reaches much wider masses with the accessibility provided by social media tools, started its adventure in Turkey through Dr. Johann Martin Honigberger. Dr. Johann Martin, who came to Istanbul for the first time in 1816, entered the service of the Governor of Tokat as a doctor 1 year later.(5). He became a student of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, whom he met while in Europe in the 1830s, and thus he has an important place in the spread of homeopathy in Asian countries.
Although we met Turkey, more precisely the Ottoman Empire, in the early days of the spread of homeopathy in Europe, after that time, it has fallen into a great silence and in the light of the available resources, homeopathy studies were not carried out in our country until 1998. Turkish doctors who met with homeopathy, went abroad and became homeopaths and started to work in Turkey. In this context, many associations have been established to spread homeopathy in Turkey and to provide training and consultancy services.
Homeopathy Associations in Turkey
The first homeopathy association in Turkey was the Classical Homeopathy Association founded in 2003.
Later, another association called Homeopathy Association was established in Istanbul in 2008 to ensure the spread of homeopathy in Turkey, to train homeopathy specialists, to provide homeopathic consultancy services, to conduct projects and research.
In 2010, our association was founded in Ankara under the name of Veterinary Homeopathy. The aim of our association is to improve the quality of care of sick and healthy animals within the homeopathic approach, to monitor scientific and social developments related to homeopathy, to conduct studies and researches on homeopathic treatment, to assist in all kinds of developments in the field of Veterinary Homeopathy, and to ensure that Veterinary Homeopathy in our country is more scientific and world-class.
In 2011, Organon Homeopathy Association was established on February 17, 2011 and became operational with the registration number 35.054.154. The center of our association is Izmir and it can open branches in Turkey and abroad. Our aim is to spread Classical Homeopathy Philosophy, to provide education on this subject, to train Homeopathy specialists, to provide treatment and consultancy services.
In 2013, the International Homeopathy Association was established in Ankara on 11/09/2013 with the cooperation of pharmacists, physicians and Hacettepe University Faculty Members in order to promote and disseminate Homeopathy and to plan trainings and started its activities.
In 2014, the Homeopathic Medicine Association was founded by a group of physicians, pharmacists and dentists who are specialists in the field of homeopathy or are receiving training in the field of homeopathy, with the aim of promoting homeopathy in the medical field in Turkey, training homeopathy specialists who are medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists or veterinarians, providing treatment services and conducting research in the field of homeopathy and continues its activities.
Legal Regulations for Homeopathy in Turkey
Law 6225 of April 2011 liberalized complementary medicine in Turkey, but only doctors are allowed to practice.
Law No. 6197 paved the way for pharmacists to sell and consult on homeopathic medicines. In addition, the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency was allowed to issue licenses for homeopathic medicines.
In the October 27, 2014 dated Official Gazette Regulation on Traditional and Complementary Medicine Practices, homeopathy was defined and authorized personnel were defined.
Apart from association activities and legal regulations, thanks to the increase in the number of doctors working as homeopaths and caring for patients in our country and the effect of social media, interest in homeopathy is increasing day by day and the effectiveness of homeopathy is becoming increasingly known in Turkey with the good treatment results obtained thanks to homeopathy.