Official Launch MEP Interest Group on Integrative Medicine and Health

European Parliament event

Hosted by Interest Group MEPs: Sirpa Pietikäinen, Michèle Rivasi Tilly Metz, Eleonora Evi, and Margrete Auken, this virtual event was chaired by Sirpa Pietikäinen, organised by EUROCAM, and video linked with over 700 attendees across Europe.

Meeting the demand of EU citizens

The Interest Group on Integrative Medicine and Health brings together MEPs working to promote Integrative Medicine and Health in all European Parliament public health policy.

Integrative Medicine and Health combines conventional biomedicine and complementary medicine, focuses on the whole person and considers individuals in their physical, psychological, spiritual, social, and environmental context. This inclusive approach meets the demand of EU citizens for a holistic, patient-centred approach in medicine.

Meeting health challenges

Integrative Medicine and Health has a significant contribution to make to the contemporary challenges of Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the increasing prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), soaring healthcare costs, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

EU citizens use complementary medicine

One in two EU citizens uses complementary medicine either alongside or as an alternative to conventional biomedical care. This high demand is not yet reflected in EU or national health policy or provision.

Expert presentations

The launch of the Interest Group Integrative Medicine and Health featured a list of experts from the medical field.

Torkel Falkenberg PhD BSc introduced Integrative Medicine and Health, and its growing emergence in healthcare.

Thomas Breitkreuz MD presented the Competence Network of Integrative Medicine in Baden-Württemberg, introducing best Integrative Medicine practices in the treatment of cancer patients.

Erik Baars PhD MSc spoke about non-antibiotic treatment of infections and tackling antimicrobial resistance.

Q&A session

View the launch

View the launch of the MEP Interest Group on Integrative Medicine & Health on YouTube.

Information

The aims and objectives of the Interest Group are:

Establish and maintain a forum for discussion and action with all stakeholders regarding Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine &Health.
Raise awareness of Integrative Medicine & Health and its contribution to more sustainable healthcare systems in the EU and to a more holistic approach to health.
Focus on the integration of Traditional and Complementary healthcare modalities into the healthcare systems of the EU Member States.
Protect and promote citizens’ right to choose their own healthcare while providing access to information on Integrative Medicine and Health.
Advocate for EU involvement in setting unified standards for regulation of Integrative Medicine and Health.

Secretariat

The Secretariat of the MEP Interest Group on Integrative Medicine and Health is provided by EUROCAM.

EUROCAM unites umbrella organisations of patients, physicians, practitioners and veterinarians in the Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine sector, comprising a broad spectrum of CAM modalities: acupuncture, ayurveda, anthroposophic medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy, naturopathy or traditional European medicine, osteopathy, reiki therapy, and traditional Chinese medicine.