Uganda Bans Iranian HIV/AIDS, TB Herb

The Ugandan government on Friday banned the distribution and use of an herb, Khomeini, used by some Iranian health care workers to treat HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, Xinhua News Agency reports. Uganda's Minister of State for Health Alex Kamugisha said that the Institute of Elahi International Initiatives for Development and Education had to stop treating individuals and distributing the herb in Uganda (Xinhua News Agency, 4/21). The herb, which IEIIDE head Sheik Allagholi Elahi claimed to be enough to cure HIV/AIDS and TB in three weeks, contained varying concentrations of olive oil, honey and minerals. An 11-member team, established by Uganda's Ministry of Health, investigated the herb and found that individuals living with HIV/AIDS were still HIV-positive after using it, BBC News reports. Kamugisha said, "All the patients under the care of [Elahi] are advised to receive appropriate care and treatment including [antiretroviral drugs] from accredited health facilities under the Ministry of Health," adding, "The public is advised that the Khomeini products are not a cure for HIV/AIDS and anyone taking them does so at his or her own risk" (BBC News, 4/21).