PRESIDENT of the Traditional Medicines Practices Council (TMPC) Friday Chisanyu has cautioned against herbalists and traditional healers who were claiming to have herbs that cure COVID-19.
By Phyllis Mbanje
The outspoken traditional healer said not only did this create a false sense of security, but could put these healers at risk as COVID-19 patients would seek them out in their numbers.
“Let me clarify this matter and say there is no cure for COVID-19 yet. As traditional healers, we are keen to find the cure but people should not lie,” he said.
Lately, there were claims that a herb called Zumbane could cure COVID-19.
“People are just taking advantage and that is why we have a sudden mushrooming of herbalists claiming that they have found a cure,” he added.
Chisanyu said herbs like Zumbane merely treated symptoms that present alongside the disease but greedy and unscrupulous people were out to make money.
“Zumbane is one of the homeopathy medicines and has been known to treat respiratory diseases mostly,” this, he said, included shortness of breath, flu, cough, tuberculosis and asthma. It is also used as a preventive medicine if taken regularly and consistently.
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“The herb works well in opening up airways and relieves those with shortness of breath,” Zumbane, according to Chisanyu, has multiple properties and can be used as an immune booster, apart from detoxification.
“People should still go to hospital for diagnosis and anyone who claims have a herb that cures COVID-19 should prove it scientifically,” he added.
Speaking on the same issue, Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights chairperson Fortune Nyamande said there was no cure yet for COVID-19.
“Currently, there is no known cure or vaccine for COVID-19. Any medicinal product, regardless of its nature must be subjected to randomised clinical trials so that its efficacy and safety are established,” he said.
A few days ago, the World Health Organisation cautioned against people using untested remedies for coronavirus after Madagascar officially launched COVID-19 Organics, an organic herbal concoction, claiming that it could cure the virulent respiratory disease.
