'Beware Of Herbalists Who Claim To Have Cure For HIV/AIDS'

The Field Officer of Hope for Future Generations, an NGO, Johnson Addison has cautioned People Living with HIV/AIDS and TB as well as the public not to be deceived by traditional herbalists who claimed they have drugs that can cure both TB and HIV/AIDS.

According to him, as it is now there is no herbal approved drug that can cure TB and HIV/AIDS and therefore urged TB patients not to use such drugs in order to complicate their health problems.

Mr. Addison gave the caution at sensitization forum on TB and HIV/AIDS for school children at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Junior High School at Asufufu near Sunyani.

The six-year project is being implemented by Hope for Future Generation, an NGO in partnership with National TB Control Programme of the Ghana Health Service.

The main goal of the project is to reduce TB infection among community members, implement the TB DOTS strategy to fight stigma and discrimination and to promote people's accessibility to treatment.

The target groups for the project include Persons Living with HIV, community members and school children. The organization used drama, House to House, education in mosques, churches and community durbars as a strategy in educating communities.

Mr. Addison said even though TB ranks as the eight leading cause of death in low-and middle-come countries among adults aged 15 to 59, yet it is it is not given the needed attention.

He therefore called on world leaders to put in place pragmatic interventions that would help reduce the human suffering and socio-economic burden associated with TB.

He lauded the government of Ghana effort of establishing TB centres across the country to help early detention of TB cases.