Does traditional medicine have any role in HIV/AIDS?

By Sade Oguntola

Professor Tony Elujoba COMPLEMENTARY medicine has being practiced for years and applied to a broad spectrum of problems. It encompasses a broad spectrum of treatments, in form of practices and belief systems either well known, exotic or mysterious or even dangerous. Some are widely acceptable while others are not because they do not conform to the standards or norms of medical practice.

The proven alternative therapies includes acupuncture, a Chinese art of healing that entails placing needles at acupuncture points to relieve pain or treat diseases and homeopathy, which entails healing with solutions of diluted plant, animal, mineral and chemical material. These help stimulates immune functions slowly. It is a well-recognised form of treatment in India.

Already, acupuncture and homeopathy have gradually entered into orthodox medical practice in countries like India and Germany. Also, the use of dietary supplements in form of vitamin, minerals, amino acids and herbal extract has gained ground in countries like United States of America.

In Africa, traditional medicine, involving the use of plants, animal and other materials is patronised by many. Professor Tony Elujoba, a pharmacogist at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife, while speaking at a special lecture organised by Starfish project, Centre for Special Studies, Sagamu in collaboration with Dideolu Specialist Hospital, Ikenne, titled, “Emerging Trends in Complementary and Alternative Therapies with Emphasis on Traditional Medicine” at the hospital’s premises recently, declared that though only some of these herbal materials are scientifically confirmed to be effective, it is however the most widely acceptable form of health care people many patronise.

While some aspects of it are in explicable because they go beyond today’s scientific comprehension and scientific intelligence, its affordability, accessibility, acceptability, relative low toxicity and culturally flavoured nature, Prof. Elujoba said made it the first post of call, at least in the community setting.

According to him, “It is however poor in treating acute diseases and emergencies, lacks precise dosages and diagnosis techniques as well as poor preserve its preparation. It is however useful in the treatment of some chronic ailments as well as in the prevention of some diseases.

Prof. Elujoba said one of the ancient trends in herbal treatment was based on theory of signature that is based on picking plants for different ailments based on things like their shape and colour.

An example is the use of bitter leaf in treatment of heart problem. Also, because of the reddish colour of hibiscus flower, the decoction is used to treat anaemia, while those with spins are identified as potential poisons.

At the moment, Professor Elujoba said an inevitable trend in Africa is the herbal treatment interventions in the conventional hospitals that many people are not aware about.

“Go to our hospital today, and check their draws, bags and around the patients, over 60 per cent have with them right in the wards many tradition medicines they use alongside the orthodox treatment unknown to medical health workers. This has brought up concern on drug-drug interactions and it is really a big problem, but there is nothing that can be done to prevent their use.

“Although, if they are discovered they may be asked to stop such, but the challenge should rather be how to assess which ones patients can actually combine and those that should not be combined stopped for the overall benefit of the patient.

However, traditional medicine has being struggling for recognition in many African countries, including Nigeria. According to him, “In Nigeria, there is no traditional medicine policy. Even though there is a traditional medicine regulation, nobody monitors how people practice it to ensure there is sanity.

“There is lot to use in traditional medicine. Even if it is just one thing that is useful, we need to see to it that it is fully utilised for the management of diseases. Orthodox medicine cannot do it alone, both the traditional and orthodox medicine has complementary roles to play in ensuring better health for all.

However to fully tap all the benefits traditional medicine has to give, Prof. Elujoba said it is important that their evidence based efficacy be improved upon, dosages determined, the quality control on the product improved upon and the practitioners made to have some formal training.

According to him, the traditional medical council will need to enforce code of ethics, check quackery and build the capacity of traditional medical practitioners to better meet the needs of teaming populace that comes to them for medical care.

Prof. Elujoba said traditional medicine has a big role to play even in caring for persons living with HIV because this is the form of healthcare that is readily available in the community, entails less protocol for consultation, very helpful in treatment and prevention of opportunistic infections as well as it can provide good spiritual support for them.

He said, traditional medicine is particular important in HIV treatment because it requires low management cost, facilitate home-based care, promotes drug adherence and positive living, while making minimum demand on health facilities.

“ In positive living, AIDS become a treatable chronic disease like asthma and diabetes,” he declared, adding, “ traditional medicine had been helpful even before people had access to free antiretroviral drugs.”

“Our fore fathers were using their remedies for all of the diseases that embattle people with HIV and had being coping very well. For example, problems like diarrhoea, cough or tuberculosis, fever, skin rashes, all have their remedies.

“Before ARV came, as part of a support group in Ilesa called living Hope, we were giving different herbal medications to help them cope. Some were for fever, some for rashes and others to control diarrhoea etc. Majority of these persons living with HIV were poor and cannot afford orthodox drugs, so we had to look out for traditional medicine to give help.

“We try to treat any opportunistic infection fast so as not to let it become overwhelming and that is how they are kept in positive living and healthy, so turning HIV to just another chronic disease like diabetes and hypertension.

“For instance, we had an herbal medicinal product called mama decoction that is used for the treatment of feverish conditions. This is made from leaves of plants like neem (dongoyaro), mango and lemon grass.

“However, with ARV now available and free, he cautioned PLWA’s taking herbal decoctions since, there has not being any study to access if there may be any drug-drug interaction.

“ Today, we know they are not supposed to take St John’s wort. But there are no studies to confirm if there will be any problem if they take our local herbs, say for example if they have diarrhoea”.

As a way forward in the care of PLWA’s, he said there is the need to integrate traditional medical practice into HIV national programmes.
With the possibility of even finding a cure for HIV from herbs, he emphasised the need for more research into traditional medicine.

According to him, “effective health agenda for PLWA in Africa can be fast-tracked by complementing orthodox medicine with traditional medicine. However, he said this would entail ensuring that traditional medicine has acceptable safety standards sustainable quality have reproducible efficacy, and assure the patients of confidence.

He concluded that ensuring that traditional and orthodox medicine becomes successful partners in the treatment of HIV is the aspiration and hope of PLWA in Africa.