NICM Newsletter 15
December 2013
From the Director
With 2013 rapidly drawing to a close, the staff and students of NICM take this opportunity to wish you the very best for the Festive Season and a productive and positive 2014. We all share a genuine desire to see complementary medicine reach its full potential in achieving better health outcomes for all Australians. In 2014 we will be looking for opportunities to work with you towards this outcome.
We end the year with some excellent news from the World Health Organisation. Its recent release of a Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023 (opens in a new window) provides an important message to all world Governments that TM is an important and underestimated part of health care found in almost every country in the world, and community demand for it is increasing.
Another reference you may wish to gift your colleagues is Dr Marianna Pochelli's report Research Now Showing Natural Products As Effective As Man-Made Drugs (opens in a new window), which summarises findings of a journal article published in the high ranking PLoS One. Pochelli has reported research findings that show many combinations of natural products are as effective as man-made drugs, but without the side effects when acting against specific diseases. Researchers assessed 124 natural product combinations and found that in the right combinations, they can match drug level potency. "However...the natural products have to be of sufficient potency and taken in the right combination." The findings underline and support our collective call for a stronger Australian investment in evidence-based research.
Of course there are many more examples of good (and sometimes difficult) news from 2013. We look forward to collaborating with you in this important and potentially game-changing work.
Professor Alan Bensoussan
Upcoming Events
Blackmores Institute Symposium
Integrating Natural Medicine into Community Pharmacy - An Evidence Based Approach (opens in a new window)
28 February – 1 March 2014
Australian Technology Park Sydney
With scientific advisory services from NICM, the inaugural Blackmores Institute Symposium being held in Sydney from 28th February – 1 March 2014 promises to be a game-changing event aimed at working with community pharmacy to grow knowledge of the role evidence-based, natural medicines can play in improving Australian health outcomes.
The International Research Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health (IRCIMH) (opens in a new window)
Strengthening Research in Integrative Healthcare Around the World
13-16 May 2014 Florida, USA
The IRCIMH's mission is to foster the development of new collaborations and to strengthen existing partnerships within the field of Integrative Medicine. The Congress will showcase original scientific research through keynote and plenary sessions, oral and poster presentations and innovative sessions.
World Congress on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
New Frontiers in Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Research (opens in a new window)
17-20 August 2014
Brisbane, Australia
With multiple new and on-going research activities in Asian, South-East Asian and Oceania countries, WOCMAP V will offer unique opportunities to present and discuss research findings on all aspects of research on medicinal and aromatic plants. Nine symposia will cover the breadths of the field. Selected keynote speakers will offer insight into cutting edge research in the field and of course the World Congress will be an ideal networking platform.
2nd International Conference and Exhibition on Traditional & Alternative Medicine
Traditional Medicine: Promotion & Development (opens in a new window)
25-26 August 2014 Beijing, China
Traditional Medicine-2014 is planned to be a perfect rostrum for prominent practitioners from Ayurveda, Herbal, Unani and various practices of Alternative Medicine to show case the advantages and importance of Naturopathy.
Traditional Medicine-2014 scheduled with a vision of promoting the Natural practice implemented as a therapy is going to play its own role in the development of applicability of traditional medicine as there will be a integration of outstanding and ingenious scientists with enthusiastic graduates from all the related fields.
NICM is grateful for the generous annual philanthropic and sponsor support that it receives for its operations from the Jacka Foundation of Natural Therapies, Soho Flordis International, Blackmores and Catalent.
