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Traditional healers said to be fuelling the spread of HIV/Aids
2008-01-02 08:35:29
By Timothy Kahoho
Traditional healers are allegedly contributing to the spread of HIV/Aids by weakening government efforts to control the epidemic in the country.
The executive chairman of the Centre for Governance and Development in Tanzania (CEGODETA), Thomas Ngawaiya, expressed the sentiments recently in his New Year`s message.
Ngawaiya said CEGODETA was extending its congratulations to all Tanzanians for living in peace and tranquility in the 2007.
He also said the institution applauded the efforts by the government, religious and non-governmental organisations in their struggle against HIV/Aids in the country.
He said during the whole of last year, the government and other stakeholders in the fight against the pandemic had exerted efforts in ensuring that life-prolonging drugs for those already infected were readily available and in mobilising people to check their HIV status.
``CEGODETA appeals to the government to carry on with mobilising the people to voluntarily go for HIV screning this year too, stressed Ngawaiya.
He said his organization believed that unsuccessful campaigns against the HIV/Aids were attributed by certain media which has been used by traditional healers to publicize their so-called HIV/Aids drugs through business advertisements.
He explained that their anti-HIV/Aids drugs were advertised in some newspapers and radios, thereby enhancing promiscuity amongst the people by falsely depending on the availability of `treatment` of the deadly disease from the traditional healers.
``We cannot fight HIV/Aids by depending on untested and unapproved drugs,`` he maintained, asking the government to ban such adverts in the media this year.
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