Integrative Medicine is the Medicine of the Future concludes International Congress (ICIHM) in Stuttgart
A Declaration calling for more rapid integration of Complementary & Traditional Medicine into healthcare services was adopted by the over 600 participants from 46 countries on the closing of the International Congress on Integrative Health & Medicine in Stuttgart (June 9-11, 2016).
Stuttgart, Germany, June 11, 2016. At the congress, physicians and representatives from different health professions discussed current concepts in Integrative Health and Medicine. Presentations included models of integrative care in inpatient and outpatient settings as well as latest research results from oncology, cardiology and other areas.
"Modern medicine faces major challenges", says Dr. Mimi Guarneri, San Diego (CA, USA), President of the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine and a member of the organizing committee, "demographic change and chronic, life-style related diseases are overwhelming healthcare systems and antibiotic resistance has become an international threat to human health."
Numerous presentations illustrated how Integrative Medicine can contribute to addressing global health challenges. Experts stressed that successful integrative care models exist across the health care spectrum, including in cardiology, oncology, pain management, mental health, pediatrics and others, but are now waiting to be scaled up.
"There is increasing, sometimes compelling evidence for complementary treatments, that show the promise and success of Integrative Medicine as a model of care and its cost-effectiveness", says Professor David Martin, University of Tübingen, "but more research is needed and this will not be possible without significant government funding."
In the Declaration the participants call on governments to recognize the added value of Integrative Health and Medicine to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to act on the agreed World Health Organization strategy that foresees integration of Traditional and Complementary Medicine into national health services.
About the organizers – sharing a vision
The Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (AIHM), the largest association for Integrative Health & Medicine in the USA, and the DAMiD, the umbrella organization for Anthroposophic Medicine in Germany, have jointly organized the event. Many other organizations like the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), the German Hufeland Society, as well as EUROCAM and CAMDOC Alliance, have supported the conference.
Press Contact:
Natascha Hövener
Dachverband Anthroposophische Medizin in Deutschland e.V. (DAMiD)
phone: +49-30-28 87 70 96
hoevener@damid.de
Barbara Ritzert
ProScience Communications –
Die Agentur für Wissenschaftskommunikation GmbH
phone: +49-8157-9397-0
ritzert@proscience-com.de
