| THE LIGA LETTER - October 2001 |
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CORRECTIONS: The October 2000 Issue of The Liga Letter should have been designated Vol. 6, #2, NOT Vol. 7, #2. The Summer 2001 issue of The Liga Letter should have been designated Vol. 7, #1, NOT Vol. 8, #1. [PHOTO of DR. Dorcsi HERE PLEASE] Homeopathic Master Mathias Dorcsi In Mathias Dorcsi we lost one of the most important homeopaths in Austria’s history of the last century. As early as 1953 he was one of the co-founders of the association of homeopathic doctors in Austria. It is largely owing to him that homeopathy in Austria throughout the last decades achieved its current position. Another interest of Mathias Dorcsi was to make homeopathy teachable, meaning that he started a regular teaching program for doctors. Additionally, he organized several Congresses of the LMHI and was active in the international homeopathy. What his students will miss most is his unique way of meeting the patient. His delicate manner, his humanity, his simple look for the essence. He was the only person for me throughout my medical training who showed - because he was living it - how to meet the patient. He imparted so well his enthusiasm for his work and the method. Now, years after my instruction at his side, I am able to realize his profound knowledge of Materia Medica in combination with his intuitive understanding of the patient. One of his sentences accompanies and consoles me quite often: “Homeopathy is so easy.” With his enthusiasm, it is. Thank you for everything you gave us. [include photo of International Council with the following caption: International Council Meeting, Wednesday 29 August 2001, Astra Museum, Dumbrava, outside Sibiu, Romania.] Argentina Homeopathy is highly developed in Argentina in medical practice and in teaching. It has not been legally recognized, although its practice is tolerated, it is exercised only by professionally qualified doctors of medicine. Homeopathic drugs are legally recognized as remedies. Two bills to legalize homeopathy have been submitted to the Argentine Parliament and it is of interest that malpractice insurance for its associated members has been obtained by the College of Homeopathic Medicine. Veterinary homeopathy is also well developed and the last meeting was attended by almost a hundred veterinarians. Argentina has eight homeopathic schools which have regular 3-year courses for doctors of medicine. There are two websites http://www.amha.com.ar; http://www.emha.esc.edu.ar where information can be found on courses and recent publications, books, etc. The Federation of Argentine Homeopathic Medical Associations (FAMHA), formed in 1995, was expanded in 2000 by the incorporation of a new school in the province of Tucumán. In December 1999, the College of Homeopathic Medicine was created under the auspices of FAMHA. This College not only provides training for doctors but also maintains a register of homeopathic doctors whereby their degrees are updated and revalidated every 5 years. In 2001, continual distance courses of post-graduate teaching were begun which will count toward the revalidation of their degrees. The Federation will be holding its Fourth Congress in Buenos Aires from October 24-26, 2002. Information about this can be obtained by email from . In October 2004, Argentina will host the 59th LMHI Congress, in Buenos Aires. Austria In Austria there are two homeopathic associations offering a training program consisting of 350 hours (200 hours, theoretical, 150 hours, practical training). An official diploma is awarded after fulfilling this education. It is recognized by the medical chamber of Austria, as a Diploma of Complementary Medicine - Homeopathy. Also, advanced training and supervision is offered, and is now going to be introduced as compulsory training for holders of the diploma. There are lectures at all Austrian universities on a voluntary level. Research is done by the "Ludwig Boltzman - Institut für Homöopathie" in Graz with international contacts. There are no homeopathic hospitals in Austria but homeopathic treatment is offered in seven hospitals. Veterinary homeopathy is recognized on an official level, receiving the title of specialist in homeopathy, and is in close contact with biological farmers. From April 22nd to 26th, 2003 the 58th congress of the LMHI will be held in Graz, Austria. For further information please visit the announcements on our homepage: www.homoeopathie.at. Belgium The most important news is the creation of the Belgian Homeopathic Faculty, a non-profit organization to regroup all homeopathic teaching activities. The veterinary use of homeopathic remedies in the food chain has been officially accepted. As homeopathy was legally recognized two years ago, research activities are compulsory. A new , easy survey of homeopathic practice will be organized in October 2001. All interested countries are welcome to participate which would be very useful for homeopathy. The implementation of this law organizing homeopathy is ongoing in Belgium. To be officially recognized as a homeopath, all candidates must be members of the Belgian Union or be able to show the following:
Our political priorities are as follows: to be a member of the registration commission of homeopathic remedies and the registration of homeopaths; to influence new laws about medical practice; to generate funds available for research in homeopathy. All health insurance companies have decided to reimburse at least 20% of the costs of the homeopathic medications prescribed by a Medical Doctor. Some will reimburse up to 100% for the prescribed remedies and some have already decided to give patients a complementary reimbursement for the homeopathic medical consultation. Brazil The Brazilian Homeopathic medical association (AMHA) has established the following goals: development of social homeopathy, discouragement of “Popular Homeopathy” and promotion of professional dignity and defense. “Homeopathy for All” is the name of the project by which the AMHB has been attempting to effect the integration of homeopathy into the United Health System (SUS through pertinent materials available as floppy disks and by direct personal contacts with members of Parliament. Additionally, they are considering participating in the Family Health Program (PSF), an effort in which the Ministry of Health has demonstrated interest. Viewing “Popular Homeopathy,” with its courses for non-professionals and its promotion of complex homeopathic medicines as homeopathy, as raising the potential for the deregulation of the medical practice of homeopathy, the AMHB has participated actively in all legal cases in order to discourage and impede its action. It has been proactive before regulatory agencies and medical specialty boards defending the interests of members’ homeopathic specialty and the dignity of their profession. This work is being carried out by several commissions within the AMHB directed to its various projects. The AMHB is joining with the ABFH and the ABFH (dentists’ group) in a campaign called “Solidarity Homeopathy,” the thrust of which is to provide homeopathic care by homeopathic professionals for poor children under the auspices of the Children Pastoral. The President of that group, Miss Dr. Zilda Arns, has been nominated for the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. Bulgaria Homeopathy was introduced in 1993 and established in 1995. The Bulgarian homeopaths are in contact with the ECH. There are two medical associations, one composed of medical homeopathic doctors having had a CEDH course (Boiron), and one composed of classical homeopathic doctors. The latter organization provides courses in classical homeopathy according to the ECH 3 year basic teaching standards, and is in the process of making contact with University to establish a classical homeopathic course. Colombia There are 1,840 homeopaths established in Colombia with several tendencies and schools including classical, which is the largest, and non-classical. There are six associations and several homeopathic schools. The 5th South American and 2nd Colombian Congress will be held 26-28 July 2002 (see announcement elsewhere in this issue). Costa Rica In August 2000, the Fundación Médica Homeopática Costarricense (FMHC) began a Continuing Medical Education Program of “Homeopathy in General Medicine.” This program is recognized by the College of Surgeons and Physicians of Costa Rica and receives credits in the system of certification of general medicine of medical doctors. The objectives of this program are to teach basics in homeopathy, to acquire the abilities and practice to apply this therapy in acute illness and to promote research. In November 2000, the FMHC participated in the 62nd Annual Costa Rica Medical Congress with the III International Homeopathic Symposium. Participants from Mexico, France, UK, El Salvador and Costa Rica spoke about the different levels, opportunities, and obstacles for integration of homeopathy in the health systems; the needs of homeopathic research to consolidate this therapy and the social evolution, citizens and health options. In 2001 the National Health Institute, one of two public insurance institutions, included homeopathy as a medical specialty in a new international plan of health insurance. The FMHC works on the design of a protocol to study the efficacy of homeopathy in acute diarrhea, applied at the primary care level. Czech Republic The Czech Medical Homeopathic Association (CLHS) has 230 members and seeks to have a regular educational system in homeopathy based on the ECH and LMHI standards. CLHS is publishing the new homeopathic journal. CLHS and the Slovak Homeopathic Association decided to alternate with organizing joint congresses. CLHS was expelled from the Czech Medical Association and some homeopaths appealed to the International Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg. The case is still in discussion. CLHS helped to establish the Chamber for Unconventional Methods which should work on the preparation of the law for Unconventional Medicines in the future. Estonia The condition of homeopathy at the end of last year, as well as this year, has been relatively stable. A split occurred and 2 groups of different interests have been formed. Reunification of these 2 groups seems to be impossible at the moment because of mutual rivalry, establishing of a market and information materials monopoly on the basis of either Russia or other foreign states, as well setting up of their own licensing commission. The Estonian Homeopathy Association consists of 20 members, 17 Estonians and 3 representatives from other countries. Eleven colleagues of our association are LMHI members. There exist working groups, developing also action programs for achieving future aims. Our association would appreciate it if other associations could share with us their experience in matters of legalizing homeopathy, in solving the problems of importing remedies into the country, as well as in resolving internal conflicts. France After the upsets of 1999 when the homeopathic pharmacopoeia seemed to be in question in France, this last year has been a return to calm and to peaceful practice of our art. The wish to make French homeopathy rise from the ghetto towards the international world is getting stronger. Unfortunately, the division in homeopathic teaching in France continues: on one side there are numerous private unicists and pluralist schools, on the other side there are schools linked to big laboratories. The National Institute of French Homeopathy (INHF) regroups almost all of the unicist teaching. Concerning the representation in the LMHI, a big step has been taken as some schools and associations consider registering their members automatically in the LMHI. The INHF-Paris school has just finished an important pathogenesis (ultrasound), which was very rigorous as well as extensive. Two websites concerning French homeopathy can be found in the Internet: http://dumenat.smbh.univ-paris13.fr (pluralists) and http://www.inhfparis.com (unicists). Germany The most exciting new information is the establishment of the Foundation of the German Central Association for Homeopathic Doctors (DZVHA). The Foundation's aims are the promotion of homeopathic medicine, its science, apprenticeship and documentation, within the field of homeopathic pharmacology and fund raising for further developments of their goals: coordination of scientific research, realization of scientific purpose-research combined scientific activities, collection and revision of dates of research and their documentation, promotion of scientific publication, organization of and a concept for seminars and training colleges, coordination of the standards of homeopathic training and compulsory education. The Foundation for Homeopathy of the DZVHA in Köthen has opened a banking account for those who may sponsor the international work for homeopathy in the institute as well as the restoration of the House of Hahnemann and the old homeopathic hospital of Lutze Sparkasse Köthen, BLZ 80053622, Kto 34001211. The City of Köthen, in which Hahnemann lived from April 1821 until June1835 (the chronic diseases appeared 1833), is the first city in the world which promotes homeopathy with aims of urban development. Important places for homeopathy, such as the House of Hahnemann, the Hospital of Lutze and the Villa Wittig will be restored as monuments. The European Institute of Homeopathy in Köthen began its scientific work this year under the guidance of the Austrian homeopathic doctor and biochemist F. Dellmour and the German homeopathic doctor K. H. Gypser. The German Health Service has been waiting for many years for a revival. A new Uniform Valuation Scale for doctors’ payment should be presented within the next months. We are paid by a point related system; the limitation of points for verbal consultations represents a disadvantage to homeopathic doctors. The next national congress will be held in conjunction with the Swiss Homeopathic Association in Basel, Switzerland on the 3 rd - 4th May 2002. The DZVHA counts 3,785 members. In May 2001, the general assembly elected Karl Wilhelm Steuernagel as new president of the DZVHA. The public relations office of the DZVHA, in Bonn, has the following e-mail: . Hungary Membership of our Association includes the following: medical doctors 177, dentists 28, pharmacists 66, veterinary surgeons 28, representative of which regularly participate in Liga Congresses and in the ECH. In the area of education, two beginner seminars are organized yearly. The basic educational program consists of 4 five-day intensive seminars within two years, using Hungarian homeopaths as lecturers. Weekend seminars are held every second month, either with invited lecturers from abroad or with the lecturers of our Association. Courses have continued for the homeopathic veterinary surgeons in the University for Veterinary Medicine. Upon completion of the courses the participants receive a Diploma signed and acknowledged by the International Association of Veterinary Homeopaths and by the Hungarian Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons. The law treating alternative methods in medicine, including the regulation of homeopathy, was proclaimed in 1977. It definitely states that homeopathy is a medical method practicable by medical doctors only. After two successful examinations, organized in June and September 2000, negotiations are on going with the authorities about the official education and examination program of homeopathy at the Medical University. The 55th Congress of Liga Medicorum Homeopathica Internationalis in Budapest was successfully India There is a separate Director for Homeopathy in the Ministry of Health. The Council of Homeopathy is doing a recount of the number of doctors. There are more than 100 homeopathic colleges, hospitals and dispensaries. Italy The teaching of homeopathic medicine is organized by independent schools and those linked to pharmaceutic companies. The Schools have basically two approaches: unicism and pluralism. The question about the number of lesson hours still exists. F.I.A.M.O. has become Società Medica Scientifica (Scientific Medical Association), so it now has access to the program of ECM, Educazione Continua in Medicina (Continuing Education in Medicine) established by the Ministry of Health to promote the professional education of Medical Doctors. Besides F.I.A.M.O., the most prestigious homeopathic Associations, such as S.I.M.O., L.U.I.M.O., S.I.O.M.I. and F.O.I., are preparing programs of events which can be included in the permanent education as formative credits. The number of public hospitals having homeopathic clinics has increased and Provincial Roles of Medical Doctors are more accepting of homeopathic medicine. The Commission for Homeopathic Medicines at the Ministry of Health is continuing its work relevant to the simplified registration of homeopathic medicines. The law on the regulation of non-conventional medicine has been discussed many times within the Parliamentary Commissions, but because of the dissolution of Parliament it will not be until the next legislature. The process of educating the public to the identity of homeopathic medicine in comparison with other non-conventional medicine, such as homotoxicology, is developing. Moreover, F.I.A.M.O. presented a Manifest for Homeopathic Medicine to all the consumers' associations, Provincial Roles of Medical Doctors, the Ministry of Health companies operating in the field. It offered pieces of information and details on the therapeutic, clinical and diagnostic method of homeopathic medicine and medical doctors' education. A program to verify the scientific validity of some non- conventional medicine started at the Superior Institute of Health. Japan Forty years ago, a medical doctor practiced homeopathy in Japan. Five years ago a medical doctor established a three-year course. The Japanese Homoeopathic Medical Association (JPHMA) is the only organization involving certified homeopaths. It is affiliated with Homeopathic Medical Association (HMA) in the U.K. Members: 280. The Japanese Homeopathic Medical Society (JPHMS) is one section of JPHMA. Latvia LMHI members: 53 medical doctors Planned publications (for the 4th World Congress of the Lettish doctors): Mexico The total number of LMHI members in Mexico is 449. Mexico's largest organization of homeopathy is Homeopatía de Mexico founded in1960 and composed of more than 800 permanent associates with two prevalent roots in its practice: the "Escuela de Posgrado de Homeopatía de México " and the "Colegio de Medicos Homeópatas de Homeopatia de Mexico. Its headquarters is in Mexico City with groups in 23 different states and some foreign associations which claim to be part of it and collaborate with it. Dr. Proceso Sanchez Ortega is the leader of this homeopathic orthodox movement which is dedicated to diffusion, teaching and research of homeopathy. The postgraduate school trains about 70 doctors each year, distributed in five school semesters with dispensary and clinical practice. The "Colegio de Homeopatía" takes care of the unifying aspect of the members of the association to which the duty of establishing the processes of continuous education is achieved with conferences, special courses and meetings where we can establish a real brotherhood among homeopathic physicians and towards national health and education authorities in order to establish a political leadership. Other official institutions have existed for more than a hundred years: The "Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopatía", the "Hospital Nacionnal Homeopático" and the "Escuela Libre de Homeopatía de México", and more recently, the "Escuela de especialización en Homeopatía de la Universidad de Antequera en Oaxaca." Netherlands In January 2001 the homeopathic medical association employed a lobbyist who was successful in contacting members of Parliament and putting homeopathy on the agenda in an attempt to get funding for research. Among the first European countries to register homeopathic remedies, the Netherlands will face a serious problem because a great many of homeopathic remedies are in danger of disappearing from the market. The manufacturers seem to be unable to comply with all requirements before the deadline (end of 2001) and the government seems to be unwilling to extend the deadline. Russia Following the decisions of All Russian Congress of Homeopaths in November, 1999, homeopaths of Russian Homeopathic Association, Russian Homeopathic Society and Federal Center of Traditional Medicine work on directions, education program and test homeopathic examinations for students of medical Academies and Universities, including projects in the following areas: The Congress of the Ministry of Health on Problems of a Terminology of Traditional Medicine with a section on homeopathy was held in Kalmykia last year, resulting in a preliminary dictionary including the application of homeopathic terms to the common medical language. LMHI President Dr. J. Imberechts had visited Russia with productive help through many meetings with doctors, homeopaths, and the Ministry of Health. In the beginning of 2001, the Federal Center of Traditional Medicine and Homeopathy was established by special Order of the Ministry of Health (Director A. Karpeev), the Institute for Homeopathy included (Director T. Kisseljeva). The Scientific Homeopathic Council was arranged (Chairman professor V. Zylov) which prepared the test examinations of Homeopathy for postgraduate education of medical doctors, necessary for the full legalization of homeopathy, and included the specialty "Doctor - Homeopath" in the register of medical specialties. Homeopathic education is official and we follow the Government postgraduate program of education. Some famous international homeopathic teachers have presented seminars, such as: Drs. Masi, J. Imberechts, D. Rastogi, J.Pal, P.Pareek, R.Sankaran, R. Marcovitch, A. Pellegrini, D. Grandgeorge, M. Rosental, G.Vithoulkas. We have some homeopathic schools. We have many problems with homeopathic pharmacy. Russian Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia has not been prepared, because State Institute of Pharmacy, whose task this is, has been reorganized. The procedure of registration of homeopathic remedies is more difficult. The preparing of new homeopathic remedies is relegated to the procedure of allopathic proving. Now we all are preparing the 57th Congress of the LIGA MEDICORUM HOMEOPATHICA INTERNATIONALIS in 2002 in MOSCOW from 4-8 June. We want to say: WELCOME to MOSCOW next year! Slovak Republic The Slovak Homoeopathic Society (SHS) has 360 members. Teaching is done according to ECH standards. Refresher courses are offered. The Ministry of Health did not reply to SHS concerning the 3rd version of the “Concept of Homeopathy in SR,” not seeing any current possibility of recognizing homeopathy as a branch of medicine, mainly because the Slovak Medical Association takes a negative position towards homeopathy. Homeopathy is supported by the Association of Private Physicians. Treatment is provided only in physicians’ private offices and only when the patient is asking for such treatment. A fan club was founded to support homeopathic activities. (www.homeo/fanklub/.sk) Spain The four largest homeopathic associations in Spain: the Academia Médica Homeopátia de Barcelona (AHMB), the Federacion Española de Médicos Homeópatas (FEMH) which is made up of 11 associations, the Associación Médico Española de Homeopatía y Bioterapia (AMEHB), and the Associadad Española de Medicina Homeopática (SEMH). The last named society is supported by the homeopathic pharmaceutical industry, not related to a previously mentioned Sociedad Española de Medicina Homeopática. FEMH and AMHB are unicist organizations; the other two are pluralistic. An improved working relationship between the AMHB and the FEMH has resulted in the FEMH becoming an institutional member of the LMHI, nearly doubling Spain’s affiliated institutional members from 241 to 443 physicians. There are 18 official medical colleges which have departments of homeopathy. There is an association of homeopathic pharmacists called Associacion Española de Farmacéuticos Homeópatas (AEFHOM). There are two university courses for homeopathic pharmacists. There are 19,000 pharmacies dispensing homeopathic remedies and several homeopathic manufacturing laboratories. In 1999 the Parliament in Catalonia set up a working party to investigate complementary medical treatments and to carry out an in-depth analysis. United Kingdom The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee Report on Complementary and Alternative United States of America As an update of the report that appeared previously in The Liga Letter, it is noted that the local county in which The Liga Letter editor Dr. Sandra M. Chase has her practice has reverted to allowing students to take over-the-counter (OTC) homeopathic medications with the signature of a parent rather than requiring a physician’s signature. This reaffirmation of equality of handling of OTC homeopathics and OTC allopathics was achieved, in part, because of Dr. Chase’s provision of documentation of the legal status of homeopathic medicine in the United States. Uruguay In Uruguay there are two homeopathic associations. The Asociación de Medicina Homeopática del Uruguay offers regular courses of homeopathic education for Medical Doctors, veterinaries and dentists (3 years). Also advanced courses for homeopathic MD´s are offered. Monthly meetings take place. Homeopathy is offered in polyclinics to people of low income. The journal Medicina Homeopática is published every 3 months. The “Escuela Médica Homeopática Hahnemaniana del Uruguay“ is conducting regular courses of (3 years) to medical doctors, veterinarians and dentists. Homeopathy is basically offered by private physicians and is not recognized by the health authorities though the remedies are recognized. Uruguay has approximately 150 homeopathic medical doctors and 20 homeopathic veterinarians.
[include photo of LMHI executive committee with the following caption: LMHI Executive Committee gathered outside the Samuel Brukenthal Palace, the residence for two years of C. F. Samuel Hahnemann, Librarian and Physician to the Baron.] General Secretary According to the Statutes of the LMHI, the General Secretary is responsible for the administration of the association and the preparation and the execution of the meetings. He shall draft the Minutes of the meetings and shall forward copies of the Minutes to all National Vice-Presidents. Additionally, the General Secretary shall maintain relations with the national institutional members. 1 ) Relating to the administration of the association: much written correspondence concerning the Archives of the LMHI, addresses of homeopathic MD's worldwide, the duties of the National Vice Presidents, their pledge of performance and certificates, the promotion of the LMHI worldwide and others had to be answered. The Minutes of the Meetings of the Executive Committee and the International Council from Budapest, Hungary were written and sent to all National Vice-Presidents. PREPARATION OF THE ELECTIONS OF THE NEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (during the IC meeting in Sibiu). 2) In collaboration with the Officers in the Executive Committee and of the Organizing Committee of the Romanian Congress, the meetings of the Executive Committee and the International Council for the 56th Congress of the LMHI in Sibiu-Romania were prepared and organized. 3) With continuous and regular communication between the members of Executive Committee the following matters were discussed, resolved or put in practice: public relations of the LMHI, communication between NVP's, research projects, the Internet page of the LMHI, promotion of the LMHI in the different member countries, and others. 4) LMHI Archives: After moving the archives of the LMHI to the "Institut für Geschichte der Medizin" in Stuttgart, it was necessary to provide the institute with continuous updates about the LMHI. With the revision of all the materials collected through the last year, all relevant data, minutes of meetings, everything concerning the development of the new Statutes and letters of importance have been sent out by the General Secretary to the Institute in Stuttgart. Address: Institut für Geschichte der Medizin, Straußweg 17, 70184 Stuttgart, Germany 5) WHO: Continuous communication and exchange of information with the office of the Medical Officer for Traditional Medicine in the WHO took place over the year. 6) GUTMANN LEGACY: In collaboration with a lawyer, significant progress in the negotiations with the Deutsche Bank and the corresponding legal authorities concerning the Gutmann Legacy was achieved. Treasurer Annual financial report 2000/2001, a summary The 2000 expenditures included the following (CHF = Swiss Francs):
The 2000 income included the following:
This means a net deficit of CHF 37,703 for the year 2000. In this year the LMHI continued to use its reserves. This is due to the International Council decision at Capri (1996), because of the then high unnecessary financial reserves, for a temporary decrease of the membership fees from CHF 15 to CHF 10 per (association) member per year. The accountant recommended the amount of CHF 150,000 - 200,000 as the bottom line for the LMHI assets. Estimate for 2001 and 2002 As to the year 2002 a deficit of CHF 21,600 is expected, which implies that at the end of 2002 the assets will be approx. CHF 248,000. Membership fee rate Secretary for Pharmacy This is my last congress as Secretary for Pharmacy, and, after 6 years, I may recognize that there were some changes - not so many as planned in the previous years, but I would say that new possibilities were presented. We are trying to have a Pharmacy Forum. We have had some difficulties for planning this event, but a meeting will occur and everyone interested in pharmaceutical themes is invited to attend. We must keep this direction for the next Congresses, in order to maintain an open door for pharmacists - and this is also true for others professionals - to assure their participation in the Congresses. In fact, each congress should assume and reserve multi-professional sections dedicated to subjects that are important to be discussed by every homeopath and for the exchanging of information. This could be achieved with pharmacists, veterinarians and dentists being invited as participants at round-tables, for example. This procedure: general program, special sections for each professional (like the Pharmacy Forum), multi- professional sections would bring more pharmacists, veterinarians and dentists to LMHI congresses. The III Brazilian Homeopathic Pharmaceutical Congress was held in Florianópolis, in May and Karen Denez participated in the organization. There was the continuation of the Forum for Education, the National Examination for the Homeopathic Pharmacist and technical presentations followed by sections where any pharmacist, member of the ABFH, could vote his opinion. The intention was to conclude with the 3rd edition of the Manual de Normas Técnicas (ABFH Technical Procedures Handbook). As we found out, there was still much work to be done and the conclusion was postponed to the next Brazilian Homeopathic Pharmaceutical Congress in Aracajú, Sergipe, in 2003. The pharmaceutical part of the first monographs of International Homeopathic Compendium is ready, in a home page, linked to HNCristiano's home page. There are 4 remedies in English and Portuguese, and 6 more in Portuguese. More remedies could be entered, but it would be necessary to receive financial support for the task of translation. In the future, students will be asked to send their work in English and their native language. It is necessary to find someone to start the Materia Medica of the same. A consulting group to revise the work is also needed. It is necessary to link this work to the LMHI page for a working group only, as it was decided in Budapest. Each member of the Executive Committee has received a copy of the current work which will be presented during the LMHl lnternational Committee meeting. Karen Denez, from Brazil, is the candidate for the Secretary for Pharmacy. She is an active member of the ABFH, coordinating the National Commission for Education. She teaches in the university and is the one responsible for homeopathy in an important pharmacy in Florianópolis. She will be able to help the LMHI Executive Committee with the subjects related to pharmacists and remedies. Measures to improve the quality of the remedy must be carefully considered. The general idea that comes from physicians is that there are no problems related to medicines. Pharmacists that deal with the remedies may not like to recognize that there are troubles, and that maybe they should start new stocks of dynamizations. Good homeopathic remedies, prepared from original and well-known sources, through standardized methods, are an important guarantee for the future of classical homeopathy. LMHI should always support the importance of this work. I would like to thank the LMHI group for the support, trust and friendship that I have received from you in our working together during these last 6 years, besides the professional experience. I would like especially to thank Dr. Chase for the copy of the HPUS, that now should go to my colleague Karen Denez, who, I am sure, will be able to work properly. LMHI and each of you may expect my help, if needed and desired. Secretary for Public Relations In this period of work, I have maintained the work projected from the beginning, the maintenance of the Web site has continued and is constantly updated. We gave support for the International Congress, making the link to their publicity for the league's congress. This possibility has remained for years. We invited the National Vice Presidents, if their country has a Web site, to tell us, in order for us to make a link from our respective sites. Homeopathic information of their respective countries thus could be annexed to the country in which it occurred. Each country’s section contains data necessary to make contact with those interested, and has attached the respective History of Homeopathy of the respective country. Having carried out the work, its maintenance continues. The site works well. We have accomplished the respective payments and administration, so now the domain name is property of the Liga, we have covered the quota for future years, hoping that in the near future, and when the law permits it, we may change the domain name to the termination ORG which means Organization (now owned by anther company). We have tried unsuccessfully to increase the communication between the vice-presidents of each country through the Liga's web page. The Secretary of Public Relations not only works via the Internet which has to be effected by remaining technologically current. Having begun, it is important to enlarge this activity toward more permanent contact with the National Vice Presidents and better public relations in each country, in order to increase the presence of the Liga in all the world. The project of histories is working. Its importance resides in letting us know the evolution and development of homeopathy in each country, as well as its current situation. We have histories from: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, United States and Uruguay. This project continues. It has already been published in a brief work, with gratitude to each vice-president who believed in me and in the development of the project which I hope to continue even though my term has expired. Another work that I, with much pleasure, have carried out, is the idea of maintaining year after year , the Directory of Members of the Executive Committee and of the International Committee, in order to facilitate communication among us. Probably this work will no longer be necessary thanks to the Newsletter that also publishes the listing. A few days ago, I received one of the most important works for the Web site, my eternal gratitude to Prof. Dr. H. Chand, who collaborated with Dr. Sandra Chase in this important form with the History of the League Medica Homeopatica that is already on the Liga Page. Now the newly proposed project, waiting for your approval, is the simple creation inside the page, of the emails of all the members of the League governing bodies. Email is easy to use, in order to facilitate communication among us. Secretary of the Newsletter The Liga Letter, the semiannual newsletter mailed to each member directly, will continue to be published in March and in October. The deadlines for submissions for each publication are the following: 31 January for the March issue and 31 August for the October issue. Each National Vice President is expected to submit a summary paragraph of his/her Annual Report for inclusion in The Liga Letter. If such a summary is not received with the Annual Report, the Secretary will be forced to create a summary which may not highlight points that would have been chosen by the author had he/she made his/her own summary. If no report is received, nothing will appear in The Liga Letter. This year we plan to attempt to begin publishing The Liga Letter in Spanish, as well as in English. Copies are mailed singly directly to each member of the Liga. |