DOCTORS VALIDATE HERBS FOR TREATING HIV/AIDS

Medical doctors at a Nigerian Teaching
Hospital has validated the use of medicinal
plants in treating Human Immuno-
deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) opportunistic
infections.
DOCTORS at the College of Medicine, Abia
State University, Uturu said that some
medicinal plants could be useful in the
management of immune compromised
opportunistic infections in people living
withHuman Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS) .
According to the study published in Middle
East Journal of Family Medicine, there are
medicinal plants of interest, which herbal
medical practitioners claim are useful in
treating infections including HIV/AIDS
opportunistic infections like tuberculosis,
diarrhoea, and others.
The study aimed to highlight important
herbs used in treating and/or preventing
infections including HIV/AIDS opportunistic
infections in Nigeria. The study identified
limitations to the advancement of
traditional medicine and ways forward.
The author, Dr. E. E. Enwereji, said that this
was necessary now that most countries
were encouraging acceptable and
affordable local technologies in the
prevention and/or treatment of diseases
including HIV opportunistic infections.
To prepare this document, the author
underwent six months apprenticeship on
the use of herbs from three renowned
traditional healers. Data were gathered
through literature review, interviews and
observations made during participation in
treatment of patients. Ways forward in
practice of traditional medicine were
emphasised during the study.
Nigeria is a large country with numerous
rich natural medicinal plants and human
resources. Nigeria has immense potential in
the area of using preparations from these
plants to complement what the western
world offers in treatment and/or
prevention of infections including HIV/AIDS
opportunistic infections.
About 15 per cent of flowering plants in
Nigeria have some medicinal properties. In
Abia State of Nigeria, there are about 3,000
medicinal plant species for treating
different diseases including opportunistic
infections. Over 70 million Nigerians depend
on preparations from them in the cure of
diseases. Though treatment of HIV/AIDS
opportunistic infections like pneumonia,
diarrhoea, tuberculosis, and others, was
targeted, treatment of other health
problems of interest was also included.
During the study, the author participated in
treatment of 56 patients comprising 38
(67.9 per cent) males and 18 (32.1 per cent)
females who came down with various
ailments including malaria, typhoid,
diarrhoea, boils, productive cough and
others. Most of these cases were treated
with assorted herbs suspected to prevent
or treat such ailments.
The researchers concluded: “Since a good
number of individuals who are in contact
with traditional medicine had poor
knowledge of mode of transmission of
infections, procedures should be instituted
for the training and re-training of
traditional healers to enhance their level of
education, facilitate their professionalism
and improve collaboration with other
healthcare workers in the management and
prevention of diseases including HIV/AIDS
opportunistic infections.
“There is lack of sustainability for traditional
medical practice in Nigeria. This is because
traditional medicine depended on medicinal
plants harvested from frequently disturbed
ecosystems that are used as farmland. More
so, mode of harvesting medicinal plants is
not calculated to ensure their sustainability.
Little or no conscious effort is made to
cultivate medicinal plants for future use.
“Increasing scarcity of medicinal plants calls
for efforts and strategies that would
incorporate Ministry of Agriculture,
Extension Agriculture Stations and others in
the communities in planting of medicinal
plants to ensure sustainability. It is felt that
treatment/prevention programmes are not
likely to yield greater results if planting of
medicinal plants is handled in isolation.
These government offices could serve as
information dissemination centres for anti-
deforestation campaigns that would
sensitise people at the grassroots level. This
process would encourage community
involvement in preservation of medicinal
plants.
“Therefore, for the next decade, the most
important strategy to sustain traditional
medicine in Nigeria including Abia State
would be public awareness and education
on preservation of medicinal plants and use
of traditional medicine to control diseases.
“Therefore, traditional medicine should be
incorporated into the existing Primary
Health Care system to ensure greater
utilisation and sustainability so as to reduce
demand for unaffordable and inaccessible
western treatments. Additionally, intellectual
property rights of traditional healers should
be recognised and compensated. This
would motivate them to give out useful
information to interested persons.
“Finally, since lack of preservation facilities
constituted drawbacks to advancement of
traditional medicine it is therefore
recommended that adequately equipped
laboratories should process and preserve
medicinal plants to ensure safe dosages are
necessary.”
According to a manual on nutritional care
and support for people living with HIV/AIDS,
Living well with HIV/AIDS, published by the
World Health Organisation (WHO) in
collaboration with the Food and Agricultural
Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
some Nigerian herbs have been found to
benefit people living with HIV/AIDS.
It reads: “Aloe helps to relieve constipation
use as extract, boil and drink the
concentrated water. To be used in limited
amounts, stop immediately if it causes
cramps or diarrhoea. Basil (nchuanwu in Ibo
and effirin in Yoruba) helps to relieve
nausea and aid digestion, has an antiseptic
and digestive problems. Add to food to treat
nausea. Use function for mouth sores as
gargle for mouth sores. Cayenne (hot
pepper) stimulates appetite, helps fight
infection, heals ulcers and intestinal
inflammation. Add a pinch to cooked or raw
foods. For an energizing drink add to fruit
juice or water. Stimulate appetite; help weak
digestion, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.
Use in soups, stews, warmed fruit juice and
tea.
“Garlic has antibacterial, antiviral and
antifungal function, particularly in the gut,
intestines, lungs and use in food vagina.
Helps digestion and feeling of weakness. It
is also good for thrush, throat infections,
herpes and diarrhoea. Prepare tea or
energy drink, or use in food.
“Ginger improves digestion, energises,
relieves diarrhoea and stimulates appetite.
Used for treating common colds, flu and
nausea. Use either as a spice in meals or
prepare a ginger tea. Lemon is antibacterial
and helps digestion. Add lemon juice to
food or drink. Lemon grass has a calming
effect as well as soothing digestion and
alleviating stress. Use as tea.
“Neem (Dogonyaro) brings down fever. Cut
a fresh twig, remove the leaves and boil the
bark in water; drink as tea. The bark can
also be chewed. Thyme has antiseptic and
antifungal function. Relaxes nervous
coughing and increases mucosal secretions.
Stimulates digestion and the growth of the
good intestinal flora in the gut. Use as
gargle or mouthwash, as a vaginal douche
or as tea (particularly effective in the gut).
Turmeric/ yellow root acts as digestive aid,
antiseptic and antioxidant. Use powdered in
rice, cereals, etc.”