Published by the government of Zimbabwe
27 July 2007
Harare — THE effectiveness of gundamiti, a herb believed to reduce the HIV viral load, came under scrutiny at a forum in Harare yesterday with some biochemists arguing laboratory tests had shown it does not improve the condition of Aids patients.
Two biochemists and a medical doctor told several Aids groups, people living with Aids and representatives of various organisations, that their scientific analysis of the herb had shown that it was safe to drink but not effective in reducing the HIV viral load.
But the promoter of the herb, Dr Peter Mashava, insisted that it reduces the HIV viral load.
A study of the herb started by Dr Mashava in 1992, received support from organisations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Kellogg Foundation, National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organisation.
Dr Mashava said 40 patients who volunteered to use the herb for more than two months had their viral load reduced by between 60 and 76 percent and
their immune system was greatly boosted.
"We also discovered a significant decline in opportunistic infections with the six people who were previously more susceptible to sore throats and the four who had persistent headache saying they no longer suffered from those ailments," Dr Mashava said.
He, however, said he needed US$50 000 to do a more comprehensive study that would incorporate data on the efficacy and effectiveness of the herb in patients susceptible to tuberculosis.
The funding, he said, would also go a long way in coming up with a factory-type edifice where the herbs would be processed at a larger scale.
"There is also need to establish what exactly the herb does to the whole body system when taken because we are now in a black box situation. We need to determine whether, like anti-retroviral drugs, it should be taken for life and how the body would react to that."
He said so far there were no indications that if anyone continued taking the herb for at least a year, there would be side effects, particularly on kidneys and the liver, as was the case with some herbs.
Gundamiti, which is a mixture of various herbs, comes in capsules and is readily available at $600 000 for one month's supply.
Despite criticism on the effectiveness of gundamiti by some scientists, Dr Mashava said the herb was in demand.
However, some Aids experts argued that this was only because people were desperate because many were still on the waiting list to be put on ARVs while others could not afford them.
Herbalists who attended the gundamiti forum did not take lightly the criticism by scientists who said unless science could prove the effectiveness of the herb, it would remain just like some of the herbs that were once popular but contributed nothing in the fight against Aids.
Other herbs that have stirred a lot of debate in Zimbabwe and were said to help the improve condition of Aids patients include the African potato and musimboti.
The herbalists said they did not need scientists to approve or certify their efforts.
"There are a lot of patients living in the rural areas who are heavily dependent on the herbs they receive from traditional healers and they are well," one herbalist said.
African Institute of Bio-medical Science and Technology chief executive Mr Fredrick Mandizvidza said they had tested gundamiti in November last year and this year in February.
"From our laboratory analysis, we discovered that this herb does not reduce the viral load.
"The tests we conducted showed that patients' viral loads either increased or were stable. What is being said here does not reflect what we established from our lab results," Mr Mandizvidza said.
Ms Rose Chekera of the Medical Research Council was of the view that Dr Mashava erred when he did not involve regulators when he started his research.
"There is a serious discrepancy in the interpretation of results and what is coming from one of the laboratories that tested gundamiti.
"It is a very difficult situation for us to be involved in now because who knows, the results we have now
might have been tampered with," she said.
Dr Mashava argued that the results he was basing his assessment on were not the ones he received from Mr Mandizvidza's laboratory but from another laboratory he did not mention.
People living Aids early this year expressed concern over how some organisations were taking advantage of their status and applying for international funding under the guise that they were helping them.
They said the scramble to understand more about HIV and Aids had seen the formation of many organisations and attracted funding, especially in the developing countries, where any help was welcome.
"It is high time Africa worked closely together and found practical solutions that effectively address our plight.
"Research in our traditional medicines is one area we could exploit if our governments and the African Union take the issue seriously and inject funding to serious organisations," Dr Morris Malaba, a physician, said.
He said efforts should be made to ensure traditional healers, laboratory scientists, pharmacists and other medical experts work together to come up with an effective product that improves the lives of HIV and Aids patients.
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