EUROCAM the foundation

EUROCAM is the European foundation that represents the views and interests of various European umbrella organisations that are made up of either patients or Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practitioners. This includes doctors, veterinarians and practitioners who practise various disciplines of CAM in Europe. 

EUROCAM covers a broad spectrum of CAM modalities, including acupuncture, Ayurveda, anthroposophic medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathic medicine, naturopathic or traditional European medicine, osteopathy and traditional Chinese medicine.

The practice of CAM modalities affiliated to EUROCAM is based on clinical expertise, which has been collected in the course of their existence, and the best available clinical evidence from scientific research built over the last few decades.

Through the umbrella organisations, EUROCAM represents 60,000 organised patients/citizens, 250 national CAM associations and a substantial part of the 400,000 physicians, veterinarians and practitioners in this sector across Europe.

The foundation seeks to achieve a mutual advantage by increasing the influence and visibility of constituent organisations and by achieving shared aims as well as sharing knowledge, strategies and contacts. In combining their human and financial resources, EUROCAM’s constituent organisations work collaboratively while remaining separate organisations.

EUROCAM's strategic actions

Representatives from these organisations convene on a regular basis in Brussels to discuss strategic actions:

• Making CAM more accessible, available and affordable for every European citizen.
• To achieve a significant political presence within the EU so as to influence the decision making of the EU authorities to support and provide the means for mainstreaming CAM into European health policies and healthcare systems as well as funding research into the benefits and cost-effectiveness of CAM. 
• To highlight the scope and potential of CAM to key politicians and policymakers so that CAM is fully taken into account when policies are formulated about tackling chronic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, soaring healthcare costs and other public health challenges.

Between meetings, EUROCAM prepares position papers and participates in meetings in the European Parliament, stakeholder meetings and various workshops.

Memberships

EUROCAM is a member of the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), the EU Health Policy Platform and non-state actor by the WHO Regional Committee for Europe.