South Africa: Traditional Medicine to Fight AIDS, Poverty
CategoriesThe South African Health Minister says that the use of African traditional medicines may eventually replace anti-retrovirals in the treatment of HIV and Aids.
Now that is a novel thought.
Aids drugs have long been accused of being worse than the disease, their highly toxic shotgun approach kills cells pretty much indiscriminately. A less damaging approach to healing those affected would certainly be welcome.
According to this recent article on BBC News, "Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has previously been quoted as saying that she would not be hurried into providing anti-retroviral drugs, and that beetroot and lemons were part of an ideal diet for people who were HIV positive." It may be interesting to note that apparently, Beetroot has for many years been used as a treatment for cancer. Specific anti-carcinogens are bound to the red colouring matter which supposedly helps fight against cancer and beetroot also increases the uptake of oxygen by as much as 400 percent." That would fit with the finding that most symptomatic Aids patients are found to have elevated levels of ferric iron (fe+++) instead of ferrous iron (fe++) in their blood. This change impedes blood transportation of oxygen and thus starves the cells leading to all kinds of symptoms. Nothing to do with a virus that must be killed.
Minister urges of traditional medicines
February 16, 2004
By Nazma DreyerHealth Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has suggested that the use of African traditional medicines may eventually replace anti-retrovirals in the treatment of HIV and Aids.
She also stressed that traditional medicine should not be integrated into western medicine, as it was a science "in its own right".
The minister was speaking at the Medical Research Council (MRC) to traditional healers and community members at the launch of the National Reference Centre for African Traditional Medicine (NRCATM) in the Western Cape on Sunday.
Sunday's provincial launch follows the national launch in August of the NRCATM in Pretoria.
'We can't ignore their immense contribution'Tshabalala-Msimang said the provincial launches were aimed at helping the Department of Health to reach stakeholders throughout the country.
"Our primary objective is to establish a burgeoning centre of excellence that advances the contribution of African traditional medicines by addressing the health and economic needs of this country and the continent."Tshabalala-Msimang said current estimates suggested that more than 60 percent of the world's population relied on traditional medicines, and in South Africa, this figure was over 80 percent.
"For the first time in our history, the potential of traditional medicines is being recognised and they are taking their rightful place in our health system."
The minister said there were 200 000 traditional healers in South Africa and they were the first healthcare providers to be consulted in up to 80 percent of cases, especially in rural areas.
"I hope all of them are genuine. We can't ignore their immense contribution in primary healthcare over the centuries," she said.
The centre would also provide potential for trade, job creation and poverty alleviation.It would establish an information system on African traditional medicines; research medicinal plants; identify education and training on traditional medicines; protect indigenous knowledge through patents and intellectual property rights; promote research into diseases; and establish a processing business.
The centre is led by the Department of Health, the MRC and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and will be used by traditional healers, the government, regulatory authorities, scientists, medical professionals, conservation authorities, communities and businesses.
The head of indigenous knowledge systems of health at the MRC, Gilbert Matsabisa, said solutions to the treatment of HIV and Aids could come from trees and plants.
* This article was originally published on page 3 of The Star on February 16,
Update September 2004:Message from Boyd Graves, dated 9/26/04, received by e-mail:
Yesterday I gave a presentation in Toronto to the "South African Development and Education Center". I presented info on the below listed patented cure for AIDS. U.S. patent #5676977. I believe it is imperative the world responds to this U.S.-patented cure for AIDS. I have taken this cure myself, now some thirty four months ago. I KNOW it works. Thank you. Boyd Ed Graves
United States Patent 5,676,977 Antelman October 14, 1997
Method of curing AIDS with tetrasilver tetroxide molecular crystal devices
Abstract
The diamagnetic semiconducting molecular crystal tetrasilver tetroxide (Ag.sub.4 O.sub.4) is utilized for destroying the AIDS virus, destroying AIDS synergistic pathogens and immunity suppressing moieties (ISM) in humans. A single intravenous injection of the devices is all that is required for efficacy at levels of about 40 PPM of human blood. The device molecular crystal contains two mono and two trivalent silver ions capable of "firing" electrons capable of electrocuting the AIDS virus, pathogens and ISM. When administered into the bloodstream, the device electrons will be triggered by pathogens, a proliferating virus and ISM, and when fired will simultaneously trigger a redox chelation mechanism resulting in divalent silver moieties which chelate and bind active sites of the entities destroying them. The devices are completely non-toxic. However, they put stress on the liver causing hepatomegaly, but there is no loss of liver function.
Inventors: Antelman; Marvin S. (Rehovot, IL) Assignee: Antelman Technologies Ltd. (Providence, RI) Appl. No.: 658955 Filed: May 31, 1996Current U.S. Class: 424/618; 514/495 Intern'l Class: A61K 033/38 Field of Search: 424/618 514/495
My (Sepp Hasslberger's) comment:
Since tetrasilver tetroxide is not a pharmaceutical company money maker, it will have an uphill battle in being accepted, just like prevention and cure of the aids symptoms based on nutrients as described elsewhere on this site.
A more recent new development on silver: Silver Kills Viral Bugs - Study
See also:Aids pressure groups have said they will battle the move away from pharmaceutical drugs to natural methods, according to a recent BBC article.
S Africa gives out free Aids drugs
SA group to sue over Aids drugs - Pressure is mounting on the South African government to hasten the distribution of drugs to combat HIV/Aids at public hospitals.
Zambia tests HIV 'herbal remedy'
Zambia has begun trials of three herbal medicines to see if they can be used to treat HIV/Aids, it says. Twenty-five people with HIV will take part in the three-month trial, which the health minister said conforms to World Health Organization guidelines.Doctor must stop SA Aids adverts
A South African court has ordered a German doctor to stop publishing statements critical of the country's leading Aids campaign group. Dr Mattias Rath accused the Treatment Action Campaign of being funded by international drugs firms to help sell their products in South Africa. The Cape Town high court rejected Dr Rath's argument that his claim was part of a necessary debate on HIV/Aids. The Rath Foundation says its vitamin supplements can help stop Aids.Can herbal medicine combat Aids?
Africa relies on herbalists and traditional healers for much of its primary health care.
A recent World Health Organization (WHO) research revealed that the vast majority of medicines taken in developing countries are traditional medicines. In Ethiopia the figure is 90% ... Could traditional medicine have a role to play in combating HIV/Aids in Africa?
This article has a series of readers' comments - most of them favourable to the use of herbal medicine...South Africa: Health Minister Says Unfair to criticise traditional health cures
Director-general of health Thami Mseleku described as “colonialist” the mentality of conventional medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. “They see it threatening certain things. They want to condemn it.” Traditional medicine was “happy” to subject itself to rigorous testing, provided the intellectual property rights of traditional healers were protected, Mseleku said. However, there was no money to establish such processes because the conventional pharmaceutical industry wanted to protect its own turf, he said.
posted by Sepp Hasslberger on Monday February 16 2004
updated on Saturday August 4 2007URL of this article:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2004/02/16/south_africa_traditional_medicine_to_fight_aids_poverty.htm
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