The role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in reducing the problem of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – the resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobia drug that was originally effective for treatment of infections caused by it – threatens the effective prevention and treatment of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. It is an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society. This paper describes how the sector of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) can contribute to reducing the problem of AMR.

The CAM perspective on health and disease is essentially different from the conventional biomedical perspective. It is not just a difference in the technology and instruments used, but in the underlying paradigms, the basic concepts of and philosophical perspective.  Although CΑΜ represents a variety of different medical systems and therapies, the CAM modalities have a common denominator, i.e. their individualised holistic approach and their focus on promoting the individual’s health by assisting the person’s innate healing capacity.
Please read the EUROCAM’s document (PDF)