Stuttgart Integrative Health & Medicine Declaration

“The Stuttgart Declaration was originally endorsed by the participants of the International Congress for Integrative Health & Medicine, June 9-11, 2016 in Stuttgart, Germany:
www.icihm.org

The Stuttgart Declaration is a call for action on governments, the WHO and professional organizations.”

“Demand for traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) is high in all countries because people experience the limitations of the biomedical model to respond to all their health needs. People look for an approach to healing that focuses on the person as a whole, supports self-healing and health creation, and is participative.”

“There is growing and in many cases good evidence on efficacy, including quality of life, safety and cost-effectiveness of traditional and complementary medicine, integrative health and medicine and the integrative care model, but more investment in research is needed.

The Integrative Health & Medicine model is fully aligned with the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023, providing models of a meaningful integration into healthcare systems. Some countries are making significant progress in integrating T&CM into their healthcare system but many countries are lagging behind despite several resolutions by the World Health Assembly - the supreme decision-making body of the WHO - urging them to do so.

A Call for Action

Based on our commitment to reach the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and a shared vision to improve human health and wellbeing for all, we aim to build a concerted, global movement to advance the integrative health & medicine approach, based on mutual respect, exchange, collaboration and cooperation.

We commit ourselves and call on others to take action to address pressing global health needs such as antimicrobial resistance and the rising burden of non-communicable disease by further developing, evaluating, sharing and implementing integrative prevention and care models.”

“We call on governments:
* To recognize integrative health and medicine as a whole society approach that will help to reach the Sustainable Development Goals;
* To include integrative T&CM into national health service delivery and self-care, as agreed in the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023 and several World Health Assembly resolutions;
* To collaborate with integrative health and medicine research centers, practitioners and civil society in establishing integrative health and medicine policies;
* To create and fund ambitious public research programs to increase evidence of T&CM treatments and integrative care models;
* To establish and support systems for qualification, accreditation or licensing of integrative medicine practitioners;
* To ensure inclusion of integrative health concepts in the education programs of all health professionals
* To adopt medicine regulation pathways tailored to the specific nature of traditional and complementary medicines.”

International Congress for Integrative Health & Medicine · June, 09 – 11, 2016 · Stuttgart · www.ICIHM.org·
Organizers: Dachverband Anthroposophische Medizin in Deutschland e.V. (DAMiD) · www.damid.de
The Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (AIHM) · www.aihm.org