Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance: The Potential Role of Homeopathy

AMR poses a significant threat to global health, with more than 700,000 yearly deaths worldwide. There is an urgent need to reduce antibiotic use, and Primary care and agriculture are major targets for antimicrobial stewardship. Global, regional, and national strategies were developed in the last decade to reduce AMR. However, little progress has been made despite all significant efforts to reduce antibiotic use and AMR. Given the magnitude of the problem, the insufficient strategies to reduce antimicrobial use and the urgency and impact of AMR, there is a need for novel strategies. Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) may provide strategies and solutions that contribute to reducing (inappropriate) antibiotic use, specifically as part of a delayed prescription strategy or as an alternative/ add-on prevention or treatment strategy in both human and veterinary medicine. Homeopathy is one of the most popular TCIM strategies widely used worldwide.The use of homeopathy in the prevention and treatment of infections is based on increasing scientific studies and evidence. To illustrate the substantial role homeopathy could play in helping to reduce the problem of AMR an overview of high-quality studies, including Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Randomised Clinical Trials (RCT) and Real-World Evidence (RWE) studies will be presented. In addition, HRI’s research programme on homeopathy and antimicrobial resistance (ENHANCE), which, to date, includes three systematic reviews and meta-analysis (Otitis Media, Tonsilitis and Sinusitis) and studies on the determination and validation of Core Outcome Sets (COS) for future primary care infection research (Acute Otitis Media, Tonsillitis and Sinusitis) will be introduced. This initiative, through a combination of high-quality research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and standardised methodologies, will strengthen the evidence assessing homeopathic treatment for primary care infections, ensuring safe and effective treatment alternatives for patients and thus contributing to the long-term goal of reducing antibiotic dependence.