AANP Celebrates Naturopathic Medicine Week

This Sunday marked the beginning of the American Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (AANP) Naturopathic Medicine week, which continues through Saturday, May 18. This year’s theme is “Naturopathic Medicine: Rooting in Whole Person Health.”

According to AANP, the week commemorates the passage of Senate Resolution 420 in 2014, which recognized naturopathic medicine as a key integrative healthcare approach by institutions like the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization. In addition, the week serves as a vital period for raising awareness about the value naturopathic doctors (NDs) bring in preventing and treating chronic conditions.

Events throughout the week, such as open houses and health fairs hosted by NDs across the country, provide the public with opportunities to learn firsthand about the benefits of this patient-centered healthcare approach.

“Throughout the United States, the need is urgent for a bolstered healthcare workforce, enhanced patient outcomes, and reduced healthcare expenses,” stated Laura Farr, AANP's executive director. She elaborated, “Naturopathic Medicine Week offers us a platform to highlight enhanced patient outcomes attributed to naturopathic medicine.”

Supporting the dissemination of this message, the AANP and the Institute for Natural Medicine (INM) released a White Paper titled Whole Health Care Specialists. The document outlines how licensed naturopathic doctors are ideally suited to address shortages in primary care, healthcare disparities, and rising medical costs while empowering patients with personalized care.

The week also features a robust social media campaign under the hashtag #NatMedWeek2024, aimed at amplifying naturopathic medicine’s accessibility and effectiveness. The campaign, supported by collaborations with organizations like the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) and various state associations, strives to enhance public knowledge and encourage informed healthcare decisions.