Homeopathy & relational healthcare

and New Zealand's Te Whare Tapa Whā

Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine systems play an important role in supporting global health and wellbeing¹ by recognizing the importance of respecting an individual as a physical, mental, spiritual and social whole.

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In New Zealand, an estimated 80% of General Practitioners refer to Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM), with one quarter practicing a TCIM modality² including homeopathic medicine.³

Homeopathy is wholistic⁴ in its recognition of the multiple symptoms, sufferings and aspects of a person.⁵

Wholistic philosophy promotes the multidimensional nature of the human being,⁶ aligning homeopathy with the biopsychosocial model of healthcare⁷ and Te Whare Tapa Whā.

Put forth by Sir Mason Durie in 1988, Te Whare Tapa Whā aims to meet the needs of Māori through recognition of a human being’s four equal health and wellbeing dimensions.⁸

Te Whare Tapa Whā incorporates:

• Hinengaro - mind

• Tinana - body

• Wairua - spirit

• Whānau - family / social networks

Health inequity is an urgent, ongoing issue in New Zealand, particularly for the marginalized Māori people.⁹ The incorporation of relational healthcare models which support cultural practices and values such as Te Whare Tapa Whā can improve health outcomes.¹⁰

Connections increase our feelings of self-worth through belonging.

Relational healthcare values strong, supportive family and community connections in conjunction with medical intervention/s.

This combination is well known, world wide, to enhance mental and physical health.

With a global trend of declining health status,¹¹ all countries are encouraged to strengthen their TCIM capacities as outlined in The Gujarat Declaration.¹²

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See also:

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‘In contrast to frequent claims, the available MAs of homoeopathy in placebo-controlled randomised trials for any indication show significant positive effects beyond placebo. Compared to other medical interventions, the quality of evidence for efficacy of homoeopathy was similar or higher than for 90% of interventions across medicine. Accordingly, the efficacy evidence from placebo-controlled randomised trials provides no justification for regulatory or political actions against homoeopathy in health-care systems.’¹³

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World Health Organisation [WHO]. (2023). WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit Towards health and well-being for all Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, 17-18 August. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/traditional-medicine/who_tm_summit_meeting_report_gujarat_declaration.pdf?sfvrsn=4a816abb_1&download=true

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Liu, L., Tang, Y., Baxter, GD., et al. (2021). Complementary and alternative medicine - practice, attitudes, and knowledge among healthcare professionals in New Zealand: an integrative review. BMC Complement Med Ther. Feb 13;21(1):63. doi: 10.1186/s12906-021-03235-z.

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Dew, K., and Clark-Grill, M. (2021). Routes into the homeopathic profession: Witnessing, gender and subaltern therapeutics. Sociol Health Illn. Jan;44(1):99-112. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.13401

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Glas, KL., Belagaje, A., Mahesh, S. et al. (2024). Vithoulkas G. Migraine in an Adolescent with a Pineal Cyst Treated with Classical Individualized Homeopathy: A Case Report. Complement Med Res. 2024;31(1):89-93. doi: 10.1159/000535615

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Oberbaum, M., Singer, SR., Vithoulkas G. (2005). The colour of the homeopathic improvement: the multidimensional nature of the response to homeopathic therapy. Homeopathy. 94:196–199. doi: 10.1016/j.homp.2005.05.004

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Chabanov, D., Tsintzas, D., Vithoulkas, G. (2023). A Case of Infective Endocarditis Treated With Homeopathy Medicine. Clin Med Insights Case Rep. Mar 22;16. doi.org/10.1177/11795476231158517

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Schmidt, JM. (2012). The biopsychosocial model and its potential for a new theory of homeopathy. Homeopathy. Apr;101(2):121-8. doi:10.1016/j.homp.2012.02.001

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Wilson, D., Moloney, E., Parr, J. M., Aspinall, C., & Slark, J. (2021). Creating an Indigenous Māori-centred model of relational health: A literature review of Māori models of health. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 30(23–24), 3539–3555. doi. org/ 10. 1111/ jocn. 15859

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Komene, E., Pene, B., Gerard, D., et al. (2024). Whakawhanaungatanga-Building trust and connections: A qualitative study indigenous Māori patients and whānau (extended family network) hospital experiences. J Adv Nurs. Apr;80(4):1545-1558. doi: 10.1111/jan.15912

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Matenga-Ikihele, A., Fa’alili-Fidow, J., Tiakia, D., et al. (2025). Respiratory research with Māori and Pacific children living in Aotearoa, New Zealand: a systematic review and narrative synthesis. J Prim Health Care. Mar;17(1):63-82. doi:10.1071/HC23066

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Vithoulkas, G., & Mahesh, S. (2025). Direction of global health status: a narrative review and recommendation for incorporating integrative medicine for improvement. Journal of Medicine and Life. doi:10.25122/jml-2025-0155

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World Health Organisation [WHO]. (2023). WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit Towards health and well-being for all Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, 17-18 August. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/traditional-medicine/who_tm_summit_meeting_report_gujarat_declaration.pdf?sfvrsn=4a816abb_1&download=true

Hamre et al., (2023). Efficacy of homoeopathic treatment: Systematic review of meta-analyses of randomised placebo-controlled homoeopathy trials for any indication. Systematic Rev. Oct 7;12(1):191. https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13643-023-02313-2#Abs1

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