The Gombe State chapter of the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria reported on Thursday that four of its members had died, allegedly due to the use of herbal treatment.
Muhammad Ibrahim, the State coordinator of NEPWAN, revealed this during the 2023 World AIDS Day commemoration event in Gombe.
According to the coordinator, a lot of HIV-positive patients that are desperately in need of cure in Gombe are subscribing and taking herbal remedies which are 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 traditional medicine who are everywhere in Gombe. four died treated 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 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.”
He emphasized the harmful effects of herbal medicines in managing HIV/AIDS and stressed the urgent need for government and stakeholders to verify and regulate alternative treatments.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Habu Dahiru, cautioned against using herbs as a solution, highlighting potential damage to the liver and kidneys and reaffirming the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs.