“We need to focus more on naturopathic therapies and anchor them in university research, teaching and training.” Klaus Holetschek, Minister of Health, Bavaria, Germany

This summer, at the opening of the International Congress on Naturopathic Treatment in Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria, Germany, the Minister said “We have to more strongly integrate evidencebased naturopathy into medical care. In Bavaria, we need academic chairs for Integrative Health and Naturopathy. I have campaigned for such a chair at the medical faculty of the University of Augsburg. Research and teaching can make a crucial contribution to providing in-depth scientific knowledge on naturopathic practices and methods.”

The Minister added “Chronic diseases will continue to increase in the coming years. And this is precisely where conventional medicine can reach its limits: in the treatment of diseases such as osteoarthritis, allergies, metabolic diseases, but also in the case of depression or chronic exhaustion. Here naturopathic treatments can be used successfully for the benefit of the patients.”

Holetschek emphasised “One thing is clear, and I hear that again and again in my conversations: the need and demand for naturopathic treatments are great. Nevertheless, usually, only self-payers and those with private health insurance have access to the promising procedures. We have to change that. We need to make evidence-based naturopathy and complementary medicine accessible to everyone. They must become part of the statutory health insurance benefits catalogue.”

The Minister explained “As Minister of Health, the crucial point is the best possible medical care for the citizens. We must therefore make even better use of the potential of evidencebased naturopathy in the future.”