The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has warned against the use of traditional medicines whose promoters claim they cure all ailments including HIV and Aids.
MCAZ issued a statement advising they had not approved any of the advertisements and that the medicines could be harmful.
It said some people living with HIV and Aids had been hoodwinked into abandoning their anti-retroviral treatments (ARTs), leading to death.
“The MCAZ has noted with increasing concern, the number of unapproved advertisements appearing in the local media with respect to complementary medicines,” reads part of the statement.
“These advertisements are misleading and promise such things as: miraculous and or immediate healings, cure of chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes and HIV and Aids, claim to treat many diseases at once, financial rewards or bonuses for the use of the products.
“The MCAZ is therefore warning the public against taking such unapproved and therefore illegal advertisements as a basis for using these remedies for the treatment of medical conditions.”
The authority said the advertisements were posing a serious health risk to members of the public who have unwittingly used the remedies in place of prescribed conventional medicines.
“The MCAZ has not approved any advertisements for complementary medicines,” the statement added.
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“The MCAZ is therefore advising the general public to be wary of such advertisements and desist from using them as part of their decision-making process with respect to health issues.
“Use of information obtained from such advertisements has resulted in worsening of the disease condition or even death as people waste time on these preparations before visiting a medical professional and getting the proper and effective medicine for their ailment.”
It said those who stopped ARTs in favour of the complementary medicines saw their conditions deteriorating after some time, leading to death.
