Malaria & homeopathy

In July 2006, Sense About Science brought together leading experts in malaria and tropical diseases to respond to public misinformation about alternative ways to prevent malaria. They have warned that homeopathic medicines offer no protection against malaria or other serious tropical diseases.

This followed an investigation by science writer and broadcaster Simon Singh, in collaboration with Sense About Science, which showed that the first ten homeopathic clinics and pharmacies selected from an internet search and consulted were willing to break public health protocols by providing unproven homeopathic pills to protect against malaria and other tropical diseases such as typhoid, dengue fever and yellow fever.

In all ten consultations, Sense About Science intern Alice Tuff was advised to use homeopathic products instead of being referred to a GP or conventional travel clinics where effective medicines are available. Alice, who recorded the discussions, said she would be travelling through several African countries, which included places where the World Health Organisation has reported an increase in P. falciparum, the most dangerous species of malaria.

Malaria and tropical disease specialists have issued a warning to people who travel in disease-affected areas:

Homeopathy will not protect you from malaria or other tropical diseases.
Get reliable advice before travelling: speak to your GP or local travel clinic.
Do not buy antimalarials - or other medicines claiming to prevent or cure serious tropical diseases - from the internet.

In a press release they also urged the government to ensure that the safety of the travelling public is not compromised by the promotion of unproven remedies for such serious diseases.

See a list of the experts here

Read the comments here

See the press coverage here

If you have any questions about homeopathy or malaria, please contact us by or on 020 7478 4380

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Last updated: October 21 2007

Sense About Science is an independent charitable trust promoting good science and evidence in public debates. We do this by promoting respect for evidence and by urging scientists to engage actively with a wide range of groups, particularly when debates are controversial or difficult. We work with scientists to respond to inaccuracies in public claims about science, medicine, and technology; promote the benefits of scientific research to the public; help those who need expert help contact scientists about issues of importance; brief non-specialists on scientific developments and practices. Sense About Science is governed by a Board of Trustees and run by a small office staff. We are supported by an Advisory Council and some 1,000 scientists and other specialists, ranging from Nobel Laureates to postdoctoral fellows, who are signed up to our database, Evidence Base. We also work with younger scientists in our VoYS (Voice of Young Science) programme, which you can read more about here.