Dying on the cheap

by Brother Bimbo del Doppio Senso, OPI

Today is World AIDS Day and Ben Goldacre has written an AIDS Quackery International Tour. Many of his examples are from developing nations where access to medicine is limited, but one is more embarrassing:

Before you feel smug and superior, the Society of Homeopaths are holding a conference in London today featuring the work of Peter Chappell, who also claims he can make an immediate impact on the Aids epidemic using music encoded with his Aids remedies.

Right now, he says, Aids in Africa could be significantly ameliorated by a simple tune played on the radio. Damningly, contemptibly, not one single person from the homeopathy community has spoken out to criticise this lunacy.

The BBC has more details of some of the original thinking being presented at the conference.

One of the speakers believes that the treatment, involving flower essences, can be used to halt the AIDS epidemic.

Aids quakery in Africa, and nearer home—The Guardian, 1st December 2007; Concern over HIV homeopathy role—BBC News, 1st December 2007.

Tags: AIDS, pseudoscience, quacks