Publications
The police, in co-operation with the Department of Health, last week closed in on a manufacturer of one of these "cures" in Pretoria.
Ben Ashoori sold a tonic which contained among other ingredients, African potato, minerals and vitamins. It reportedly also contains a secret ingredient which is a cure for HIV/Aids.
Journalists of The Star newspaper bought the cure for R270.
In April Medinfo warned South Africans against being mislead by reports of Nigerian doctors who claimed to have found a cure for HIV/Aids.
Medinfo also warned consumers against the medicinal use of liquid silver after it was banned in America. It was included in health products also sold here in health shops.
According to Medinfo the product can cause liver and kidney damage. South Africans - and scientists world-wide - also remember the Virodene Debacle promoted in 1996 by former Health Minister Dr Nkosazana Zuma in Parliament as a cheap cure for HIV/Aids.
The Medicines Control Council did not approve further research because of concerns about the drug's efficiency and toxicity. People suffering from the disease, however, queued to try and obtain Virodene.
Zambia's President Frederick Chiluba recently launched a bitter attack Against this kind of exploitation. He said alternative remedies, including herbs, could have catastrophic results, Panafrican News Agency reported.
About one million Zambians have been infected with the virus.
