Issue No.33 Friday
18th December 2009
ANH Press Release: 'United we are stronger'-ANH announces merger
PRESS RELEASE - for immediate release
18th DECEMBER 2009
Two leading natural health campaign organisations are formally merging as of
today. The Alliance for Natural Health (ANH), based in Dorking, UK, and the
American Association for Health Freedom (AAHF), of Washington DC, have
merged to form the Alliance for Natural Health International (ANH
International) www.anhinternational.org. The new organisation is headed up
by internationally acclaimed scientist and activist, Dr Robert Verkerk. The
organisation's headquarters will be in Dorking, UK, which will remain the
base for ANH International's European activities, now to be conducted
through ANH-Europe www.anh-europe.org. The Alliance for Natural Health USA
(ANH-USA) www.anh-usa.org, under the leadership of attorney Gretchen DuBeau,
will continue to operate out of its Washington DC base, although its
activities will be closely coordinated with that of ANH International. The
merger joins two powerful, results-orientated natural health organisations
that have long advocated for natural and integrative medicine.
Dr Verkerk and his co-workers at ANH-International have been at the
forefront of moves to reduce the impact of the increasingly far-reaching and
stringent European regulatory system. This system threatens to decimate
clinical nutrition, nutritional therapy, non-European healthcare traditions
such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda as well as the
leading-edge of the health food sector across the 27 Member States of
Europe. European regulation is also acting as a key regulatory template
influencing many countries around the world, as well as global standards and
guidelines for food products issued through the Codex Alimentarius
Commission. The ANH has pioneered the use of 'good science' and 'good law'
as the key principles in establishing a legal and scientific framework
appropriate to the continued and expanded use of natural and sustainable
approaches to healthcare.
Known for its longstanding efforts to protect integrative practitioners from
unjust prosecution for utilising natural healing modalities and ensuring
consumers have continued access to the natural healthcare options of their
choice, ANH-USA brings an arsenal of lobbyists and more than 50,000
advocates dedicated to shifting the medical paradigm from an exclusive focus
on surgery, drugs and other conventional techniques to an "integrative"
approach incorporating food, dietary supplements and lifestyle changes.? ?
"United we are stronger", said Dr Robert Verkerk. "Europe has one of the
most restrictive systems which we badly need to liberalise," continued Dr
Verkerk, "while the US represents one of the most liberal systems, which we
must ensure is not lost. Together, we handle both sides of the issue. Many
consumers and natural health advocates have criticised the lack of
cooperation among natural health campaigners. We hope today marks a
permanent change."
Gretchen DuBeau, executive director of ANH-USA, commented, "We are thrilled
about the merger. The opportunity to join forces with a top-notch,
international natural health organisation increases our strength in moving
towards a sustainable, integrative medical model."
ANH International is committed to sustainable approaches to healthcare. It
strongly believes the existing orthodox medical paradigm, based around the
over-use and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs, can no longer be countenanced.
Its lack of respect for biological principles, born out by poor efficacy and
huge costs in terms of side effects, is just one expression of this.
According to ANH International, preventative medicine is too often
incorrectly defined by the use of increasing amounts of drugs, earlier and
earlier in life, even in childhood. The concept of sustainable healthcare is
about genuine prevention, particularly chronic disease prevention. Chronic
diseases represent the single greatest burden on healthcare systems around
the world and it is well accepted that they are largely preventable through
dietary and lifestyle changes, rather than the use of drugs.
Drawing on the legal, scientific and policy expertise of its US and European
offices, as well as its affiliates around the world, ANH International will
work tirelessly and with even greater effectiveness to help stimulate a
fundamental shift in the orthodox western healthcare paradigm. The new
paradigm, built on the principles of sustainability, needs to work
harmoniously with biological systems, rather than against them.
Given the imminent threats to natural health in many parts of the world, and
the urgency of required action, ANH-International, and its two regional
offices, is looking to expand significantly its reach among consumers,
practitioners and companies in the natural health field. New or
substantially revised campaign websites have been launched which hope to
facilitate this process. Companies or practitioners, or even volunteer
members of the public, wishing to collaborate with any of the organiations
should contact their nearest regional office.
ENDS.
For further information, please contact Meleni Aldridge, Executive
Coordinator, ANH-International; ph: +44 (0)1306 646 600, email:
mel@anhcampaign.org or Gretchen DuBeau, Executive Director, ANH-USA; ph: +1
202 467 1988, email: gretchen@anh-usa.org.
NOTES TO THE EDITOR:
About the Alliance for Natural Health International?
www.anhinternational.org
The Alliance for Natural Health International (ANH-Intl) represents an
international non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting natural
and sustainable approaches to healthcare. It upholds that the integrative
medicine and functional medicine models, as well as many traditional
healthcare systems that have evolved over millennia, are more appropriate
means of dealing with today's health challenges than the current dominant
western medicine model, which is over-reliant on the use of pharmaceutical
drugs. The ANH is working collaboratively to help facilitate the development
of scientific and legal frameworks appropriate to natural healthcare.
Find out more:
ANH-Europe: www.anh-europe.org
ANH-USA: www.anh-usa.org
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