Four members of the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) in Gombe State reportedly died after using herbal HIV treatment, as announced on Thursday.
The association’s Programme Officer, Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim, disclosed this information in Gombe as part of an event commemorating the 2023 World AIDS Day.
The rising prevalence of herbal therapy for HIV treatment in the state has become a matter of concern, according to Ibrahim.Stressing the importance, he urged the government and stakeholders to take action against the proliferation of alternative HIV treatments.
Ibrahim highlighted that a significant number of HIV-positive patients, in their desperate pursuit of a cure, are resorting to herbal remedies, resulting in fatalities from incorrect medication.
‘A lot of our members are subscribing and using herbal medicine. It is based on the information being spread by the hawkers of traditional medicine. These hawkers are everywhere in Gombe.’
‘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.’
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‘There is no scientific proof that the herbal treatments are real. So we want the government to look into this and do the needful.’
‘Anybody that claims to have found treatment for HIV should be identified and invited by the government to verify his claims. And then certify it before public sales and use,’ Ibrahim said.
Also commenting, Dr Habu Dahiru, Commissioner for Health, said there was no scientific proof that herbs could cure the disease.
Dahiru advised NEPWHAN members and all those living with HIV to desist from using herbal medicines to treat the disease. He added that such concoctions damage vital organs.
‘We do not have any scientific evidence that herbal medicines are working. But anti-retroviral drugs are working and when we do the viral load test, you see it reducing. It is scientific.’
‘Herbal medicines have side effects, especially damage to the liver and kidney.’
‘We have always discouraged the use of a remedy that has not been certified. To use a drug or herb in treating a certain illness it has to undergo various stages of test and certification before approval.
‘We have not heard of any herb that has been certified for HIV treatment,’ he said.
Also, on the fight against the scourge, Dahiru said the state had achieved a lot in reducing the disease burden.
Additionally, he mentioned that the state recorded a 95 percent success rate in testing and initiating medication for suspected cases, and 95 percent of those on medication achieved viral suppression.
‘This is a good feat for the state,’ he said. He added that the state would maintain the feat, boost testing and encourage the use of ART among positive persons.
Recall that World AIDS Day is commemorated on December 1, and the theme for this year is ‘Let communities lead’.