IVAA response to “Le Monde diplomatique” article on anthroposophy

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BRUSSELS, July 16th 2018: IVAA welcomes the attention given to the anthroposophic movement in the French version of « Le Monde diplomatique » but regrets the negative bias and factual errors in the article

Anthroposophic Medicine is practised by fully qualified physicians and other health professionals that have obtained additional training in Anthroposophic Medicine. The University of Witten-Herdecke (Germany) has pioneered an integrated training program that allows students of medicine to train in Anthroposophic Medicine while pursuing their conventional studies.

From its foundation in 1920, Anthroposophic Medicine was conceptualised to be integrated with conventional medicine and has never been “alternative medicine.” It does not replace conventional care but rather adds extra therapeutic tools that health professionals can use to improve patient outcomes.  

For example, extracts of European mistletoe (Viscum album) have been shown in peer-reviewed literature to reduce side effects of chemo- and radiotherapy, improve quality of life and – in the case of pancreatic cancer– to improve survival. Viscum album is an anthroposophic treatment that is always used in conjunction with conventional treatment and never promoted as a cure. There is ample evidence demonstrating the positive impact of this and other anthroposophic medical therapies; “Le Monde diplomatique” appears unaware of the scientific literature.

Finally, IVAA strongly rejects the false associations with Nazi Germany. The Anthroposophic Society was forbidden in Germany at the time, and most anthroposophic institutions closed during the Nazi era.

More detailed rebuttals to the article have been published by the Société anthroposophique en France and by Françoise Bihin in the French online magazine Aether.   

More information on the value add of Anthroposophic Medicine to public health outcomes is available here, and more information on its unique therapeutic approach to helping patients is available here.