…. govt warns against use
The Gombe State chapter of the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria has decried harmful effects of herbal medicines as a treatment, that no fewer than four people have reportedly died.
Disclosing on Thursday the Gombe State Coordinator of NEPWAN, Muhammad Ibrahim, during the 2023 World AIDS Day commemoration event in Gombe.
Our correspondent reports that 2023 theme is Communities: Leadership to end AIDS by 2030.
Ibrahim explained that the tragedy underscores the urgent need for government and other stakeholders to working in verifying and regulating all alternative treatments being used to treat illnesses like HIV.
According to the Coordinator, a lot of HIV-positive patients that are desperately in need of cure in Gombe are subscribing and taking herbal remedy which is now killing them.
Ibrahim said, “A lot of our members are subscribing and using herbal medicine based on the information being spread by the hawkers of the traditional medicine who are everywhere in Gombe. four died treating with traditional medicine.
“These people are openly advertising and claiming that they have discovered the treatment of HIV as a result a lot of our people are buying the medicine and there is no any scientific proof that the herbal treatments are real.
“We want the government to look into this and do needful, anybody that claims to have found treatment for HIV should be identified and invited by the government to verify his claims and certify it before public sales and use.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health Dr Habu Dahiru, while addressing world press conference on the commemoration said the ministry would not advice anyone to use herbs as means of getting solution, “Herbal medicine damages the liver, kidney and it’s not advisable for anyone to use it as an antiretroviral. The antiretroviral drugs are working and in any case it causes dire consequences,” Dahiru added.
