Elisa Menendez
SPAIN is set to ban alternative medicines such as homeopathy and acupuncture from its medical centres.
It comes after science and health ministers put forward a new proposal in a bid to quash the rise of pseudo-therapies, which they claim have ‘no scientific evidence’ to support claims of curing patients.
Although it is not made clear exactly what are regarded as ‘alternative therapies’, officials gave examples of acupuncture and homeopathy.
“Many people still believe that some treatments work despite there being no scientific proof available,” a government statement said.
Presented by health minister, Maria Luisa Carcedo and science minister, Pedro Duque, the pair said alternative methods ‘negatively affect health by perpetuating illnesses, causing others or even increasing the risk of death’.
It comes after some 400 Spanish scientists made a call for action against pseudoscience following the death of a cancer patient who refused traditional medicine.
The project, Health Protection Plan Against Pseudo-therapies, aims to stop alternative medicine being taught in Spanish universities, ban it from health centres and stop ‘misleading publicity’.
Officials say the document is open to suggestions from all relevant sectors, including regional governments, university professors, scientific communities and associations.
