Herbs or ARVs? (HIV)

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Herbs or ARVs?

Independent Online

October 13 2008 at 12:07PM

 

 

 

By Mpume Madlala

 

More people in KwaZulu-Natal who are HIV-positive are turning to

traditional medicine for help instead of going to hospitals

and " Western-trained " doctors.

 

This was established by a recent study conducted by the Human

Sciences Research Council in Pretoria, which said more and more

people in rural KZN believe that traditional medicine is much safer

than Western medicine.

 

The study has also revealed that more than 66 percent of infected

people believe they could not survive without traditional medicine

and 60 percent believe that traditional herbs control the virus

better than antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).

 

An HIV-positive woman of Elandskop, near Pietermaritzburg, who spoke

to the Daily News on condition of anonymity, said she was alive

because of traditional medicine.

 

She has lived with HIV for five years.

 

" I remember that in the first two years after I had been diagnosed I

was ill all the time, even though I was taking medication.

 

" I was referred to a traditional healer by a friend and within a

month of drinking just the one bottle of muti that he gave me, I was

so much better and even gained weight. Since then it has really

helped because if you did not know my status, you would never say I

was HIV positive, " she said.

 

Sazi Mhlongo, president of the National Traditional Healers'

Association, said a study done by the World Health Organisation has

revealed that 80 percent of people infected in KZN turn to

traditional healers for help.

 

" The good thing about the muti that traditional healers prescribe is

that they have no side-effects, unlike ARVs. If a person takes

traditional medicine and they forget to

take it, they are not affected as the healing still continues, " he

said.

 

Mhlongo said that even people in hospices choose traditional medicine

over tablets.

 

" These various mutis really do make a difference. However, I would

like to advise people not to buy muti from the streets because there

are many crooks out to make easy money under false pretences.

 

" I would suggest that people go directly to izinyanga (traditional

healers) as they know exactly what they are doing, " he said.

 

 

This article was originally published on page 3 of Daily News on

October 13, 2008

 

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