Quackbase!

Claim number: 15

Claimant: Homeopathy for Health in Africa

Claim date: Feb. 11, 2011

Forum in which the claim was made: Website

Claim methodology: Homeopathy

Frequency with which the claim is made by this claimant: Frequent

Actual claim: Treats AIDS

Plausibility of this claim: Tests are disputed or inconclusive

Description

The website states, inter alia:
“Homoeopathy works by stimulating and enhancing the immune system and therefore it is precisely in this disease(AIDS) that homoeopathy can be most effective”.
It also claims that “homoeopaths all over the world are having very promising results with AIDS patients, substantially improving their well being and restoring health”. The homeopathic treatment provided is said to increase CD4 count. It is even stated that, in one case, a woman was CURED of HIV.

In addition, the website makes claims that conventional medicines, (like ARVs), do not amount to any “real change in underlying health”. These claims are contrary to widespread scientific evidence to the contrary.

Other than vague ‘case records’, no evidence is provided to substantiate the claim that the homeopathy provided is an effective treatment for HIV. Furthermore, because a lot of the patients are also on ARVs, it cannot be concluded that it is the homeopathy that is helping to increase CD4 count. It is much more likely that this is a result of the ARVs.