African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic ... - Blackherbals.com

Continued from page 13 – Otaala Warns Herbalists on AidsCureMinister of State for Primary Health Care EmmanuelOtaala said herbalists make unconfirmed statementsthat they cure HIV/Aids, something that casts doubt ontheir work.“The clash between trained doctors and traditionalherbalists is a result of the unsubstantiated statementsthat herbalists cure HIV/Aids. Such drugs only havevitamins that help to cure optimistic infections but notthe virus,” Dr. Otaala said.The Minister was speaking at the closure of the sixthannual general meeting for the Traditional and ModernHealth Practitioners against Aids and other Diseases(Theta) in Kampala on Friday.Theta is an association of medical practitioners with theaim of increasing community access to health services.He warned traditional healers who extort money frompatients with claims that they will cure them of HIV.He asked herbalists to distance themselves from witchdoctors.Dorothy Balaba, the Executive Director of Theta askedthe government to support their work, saying manypatients seek treatment from their centres. She saidTheta is currently challenged by lack of documentationof information for research.☻☻☻☻☻☻Malinga wants TraditionalBirth Attendants Bannedfrom OperatingAliga IssaDaily MonitorOctober 25, 2006Health Minister Steven Malinga has said traditioneralbirth attendants should be banned from operatingsaying they have increased the rate of maternal andinfant mortality in the country.He said newly born babies and pregnant mother die inthe clinic or homes of traditional birth attendantsbcause they (attendants) are not well trained to identifybirth complication.Malinga was addressing medical workers and districtleaders in Masak during his familiarization tour in thedistrict on October 18. He said of 5,000 pregnantwomen, 506 die due to ill-trained people who attend tothem.-14- Traditional African Clinic October 2007He said infant mortality is at 42 per cent. Malinga urgedexpectant mothers to visit hospitals and health centresfor medical check-ups.He warned traditional doctors against advertisingthemselves and misleading the public in to thinking thatthey can cure them of HIV/Aids.He said many are quacks and they operate illegally.He urged the pubic to avoid them as the governmentdiscusses their operation.However, the chairman of Masaka Traditional HealersAssociation, Mr. Kayinga Kiggundu, opposed theminister’s statements saying almost 80 per cent of peoplein the district rely on services of traditional doctors toimprove their health.“The Minister would be wrong if our operations wereseized. Many patients who come to our clinics are curedwith our herbal medicine,” Kayinga said.Daily MonitorJuly 25, 2007☻☻☻☻☻☻What Herbs Can DoPatience AtuhaireIn Uganda, the extraction of health products fromnaturally and commonly occurring herbs has beenwidely embraced.From food supplements to ointments, beauty products,medicines and beverages, the list of health productsextracted from herbs is almost endless. Here are some ofthe wonder-working herbs that have been popularized.MoringaThis is a short stem, small-leaved tropical plant withvarious species, the commonest being Moringa oleifer.MODA Enterprises in the old Taxi Park as RichardKanyike the salesperson explains specializes in remediesfrom moringa. They include soap and jelly that softenand clear the skin of fungal infections. Powder, which isextracted from leaves or stems and roots is also said tobe an immune booster that can be put in hot water as abeverage or in food as a spice.There is also malarial treatment powder, cough syrup aswell as massage oil, which are derived from the differentparts of the plant. Dama Medicinal Herbs at Shoppers’Stop Plaza processes a wide variety of medicinalremedies from all sorts of herbs, some of the commonestbeing:Continued on page 15