Zambia: HIV breakthrough imminent

  1. Posted on Sunday 1 March 2009 - 07:06
    Sanday
    Image of Sanday
    Sanday Chongo Kabange, AfricaNews reporter in Lusaka, Zambia
    A scientific breakthrough is about to be made in HIV/AIDS nutritional food supplement in Africa. The Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation will this week begin series of tests with a team of independent doctors to review its research on nutritional supplements for people living with HIV.
    HIV_AIDS_ACTIVISTS_SOUTH_AFRICA
    The nutritional supplements will help HIV patients to replenish their CD4 count and halt the spread of the disease within the body. The foundation’s research has been assessed over a period of 3-4 years and the medicinal product has been observed to be effective at any stage of the HIV/AIDS disease.

    KKCAF country coordinator, Dr. Waza Kaunda stated that during the trial research, treatment could commence at any stage of an individual’s infection regardless whether their CD4 count was still higher than 350. He said health officials do not have to wait for the CD4 count to drop to ceiling 450 which is usually when an individual suffering from HIV can be placed on Anti Retro-virals (ARVs) or supplements.

    Dr. Kaunda added: “It must be emphasized that this approach and research is preliminary and as such further tests need to be conducted by the various medical institutions within the Southern African Developing Countries (SADC) and the Eastern region as well”.

    Huge discovery

    “This discovery is huge and is a product that can be cultivated in Africa instead of the current situation in which we have to import all the ARV supplements from abroad, although the medicinal product will have in a highly technical manner; scientifically and processed for it to be effective,” said Dr. Kaunda.

    The medicinal product is an important breakthrough which can be used with minimal supervision especially within our villages where there is tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases, said Dr. Kaunda.

    A team of medical doctors is set to visit the country this week to determine and review the findings of KKCAF and offer an independent analysis of the medicinal product following the encouraging results of the foundation.

    The team will include Professor Silvester Kajona – international immunologist and cytokine biology expert, Dr. Daniel Mutango – KKCAF national coordinator in Kenya and initiator into research on the extract of the medicinal product, Dr. Samuel Otieno – Agricultural scientist studying the effect of selenium and nutrition on HIV patients and Dr. Masaja – Surgeon studying wound healing in patients with HIV/AIDS.

    The team will conduct their review until March 5 and will issue a statement afterwards.

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