Manto still into garlic

2004-02-09 16:27

Cape Town - Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang on Monday defended a diet of garlic, lemon, onion and olive oil for HIV/Aids sufferers, saying it was important not to ridicule traditional medicine.

Tshabalala-Msimang told journalists at a briefing in Cape Town that onions, lemons and olive oil were vital ingredients for a diet for Aids sufferers.

"Garlic is absolutely critical," she said. "We need to do research on it. We cannot just ridicule it."

"Lemon is absolutely critical. If you don't wash the skin there is selenium which the human body needs. Olive oil, although it is expensive is also important," the minister said.

Research into traditional medicines

Tshabalala-Msimang said her ministry was working with South Africa's Medical Research Council to research traditional medicines.

"You can say what you like about traditional medicines, but people are still using them. It is up to us as the department of health to make sure traditional medicine is administered properly," she said.

The UN's Aids agency estimates that South Africa had 5.3 million people infected with HIV and Aids at the end of 2002 - the highest number in the world.

A leading local medical journal in November slated the minister's diet, saying that there was no convincing evidence that any of the foods proposed by Tshabalala-Msimang would change the way people were affected by the illness.

In November, cabinet approved the outline of a plan to provide potentially life-saving anti-retroviral drugs for those infected with HIV/Aids, after several court battles between the government and Aids lobby groups.

The Treatment Action Campaign has expressed concern about the lack of progress in implementing it.

Tshabalala-Msimang said the treatment plan was not just about antiretrovirals.

"Managing Aids is very complex. For instance, of South Africa's 20 000 doctors, only 2 000 are actually able to manage HIV and Aids properly in this country," she said.

- AFP