Homeopathy as an AIDS “treatment”

This December, all eyes will be on a small vocational training centre in Lambeth, where the Society of Homeopaths will be celebrating World Aids Day by holding a conference on how best to treat HIV/AIDS with magic water. For just £55, you can participate in discussions with homeopathic luminaries Jonathan Stallick, Hilary Fairclough and Harry van der Zee (although criticism is apparently not tolerated). This event has not gone unnoticed by opponents to pseudoscience, as Nick Cohen discussed in last week’s Observer. This week, the alternative medics responded, led by Paula Ross, Chief Exec of the Society. She said:

…it should be noted that the symposium will be looking at complementary methods and approaches used by experienced homeopaths in helping with the symptoms of HIV/Aids.

So, not about curing AIDS then. That would put them in contravention of their own charter, which states registered members should “avoid making claims (whether explicit or implied; orally or in writing) implying cure of any named disease”. Of course, there’s little hope seeing them enforce this rule when members of their own Professional Standards Committee fall foul of it. It’s important then that Ross pushes the idea that homepathy treats the symptoms, not the disease. But do her speakers share the same outlook?

Jonathan Stallick is the author of AIDS: The Homeopathic Challenge, which mentions the “AIDS nosode” as a useful remedy. A quick search for information on the AIDS nosode turns up this book by arch-quack Peter Fraser, who seems to believe that AIDS is a consequence of the electronic age (and similarly, the invention of the printing press was responsible for syphilis). And yes, he claims to be able to treat AIDS, with methods so ridiculous I can’t bear to repeat them.

Hilary Fairclough has funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to bring the homeopathy to people living with AIDS/HIV in Botswana, where she says, through the work of her clinic:

Symptoms were alleviated, immunity boosted and suffering relieved.

It’s hard to know exactly what she means. Symptoms of AIDS or opportunistic infections? Immunity to what boosted? To HIV? It’s pretty horrible to think many of these people will go on to infect their partners or children with an incurable disease because they were given mysticism and water instead of prophylactics and education.

Harry van der Zee will be talking about his mate Peter Chappell’s revolutionary cure - sorry, I mean treatment - for HIV/AIDS. Vital Remedies says:

[Harry] travelled to Malawi in 2004, interviewed dozens of AIDS-patients that had previously been treated by Peter, documented their cases and compared these with their previous case-records. The conclusion … was clear: PC1 for HIV/AIDS works in all cases

So there you have it. These are the people treating “symptoms” of AIDS - seriously deluded folk who show some love to desperate people, get them back on their feet and call it a “treatment” for AIDS. It’s not a treatment. Every single one of those people is still infectious, every single one of them will still die from complications of the disease. And thanks to the homeopaths, an opportunity to manage the disease, educate, prevent and treat was instead spent giving out useless water. These people are the worst homeopathy has to offer. They should be treated with utter contempt, not lauded in South London symposiums.

7 comments November 4th, 2007