Patients with HIV/AIDS! Nigerian herbalists take 4 lives. Earlier this week, the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria, NEPWHAN, that has its headquarters in Gombe State, announced that four of its members had died as a result of taking herbal HIV medications allegedly prescribed by them.
This was revealed to the public by Muhammad Ibrahim, a programme officer of the association, during a celebratory event held in Gombe to mark World AIDS Day 2023.
According to Ibrahim, the recent surge in the use of herbal medicine as a treatment for HIV in the state has caused alarm among health officials.
During the speech, he spoke about the importance of controlling the spread of alternative HIV therapies by the government and stakeholders.
In Ibrahim’s opinion, there is a growing trend of HIV-positive patients who are desperate for a cure who are turning to herbal remedies for help. As a result of taking the wrong drug, he said, he has seen many people die as a result of taking the wrong medication.
The majority of our members subscribe to herbal medicine and use it on a regular basis. As the hawkers of traditional medicine are spreading this information, it is based on the information generated by them. It is impossible to avoid these hawkers in Gombe at all times.
There are a number of people running advertisements on social media where they claim that they have discovered a way to cure HIV. Due to this, we find that many of our community members are purchasing the medication as a result.”
Despite all the hype about herbal treatments, there is no scientific evidence that they are safe or effective. Therefore, we would like to request that the government look into this matter and take the appropriate measures.”
There should be a thorough process of identifying and inviting every person who claims that he is in possession of a treatment for HIV to meet with the government and verify this claim. He said that they should certify the product before it is sold to the public and used,” Ibrahim said.
The commissioner of health
It was also the Commissioner for Health, Dr Habu Dahiru, who spoke. He said that there was no scientific evidence that plants could be used as a cure for this disease.
NEPWHAN member Dahiru recommends to HIV-positive people, as well as other people who are HIV-positive, that they should not use herbal medication to treat the disease. According to him, such combinations could be harmful to essential organs within the body if they are consumed together.
The existence of herbal medicines as a form of treatment does not appear to be supported by any scientific evidence. Nevertheless, we can see a reduction in viral load when we do viral load tests as a consequence of anti-retroviral drugs working. As far as I am concerned, it is a scientific method.”
There are some side effects associated with herbal medicines, especially those that affect the liver and kidneys.”
Our policy has always been to discourage the use of remedies that have not been certified by an appropriate body. There are a number of different stages that must be completed in order for a drug or herb to be approved for use when treating a certain illness.
There haven’t been any herbs certified as HIV treatment herb on the market, he said, “so far.”.
In addition, Dahiru stated that the state has significantly reduced the burden of illness as a result of the efforts made.
Moreover, he said that 95% of the suspected patients had been tested and medicated by the state. According to him, 95% of the people who were put on medication had their viral immunity suppressed once they had been given the medication.
“This is one of the best achievements for the state so far,” he said with pride. In addition to this, the state had committed to maintaining the feat, increasing the testing and encouraging those who were positive to use ART.
During the month of December, we commemorate the World AIDS Day. This year’s theme is “Let communities lead” and it’s being observed on December 1.
“Patients with HIV/AIDS! Nigerian herbalists take 4 lives” that news provided by timenews.
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