Gambia’s Jammeh Renews HIV Cure Claim

(JollofNews) – President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia has renewed claims that he can cure HIV and some of the world’s leading killer diseases including cancer.

In February 2007, President Jammeh told local journalists and foreign dignitaries that he has found cure for HIV, hypertension, asthma and tuberculosis. He also claimed to have find a cure for infertility and can make infertile women have children within months.
He claimed that his healing powers were given to him in a dream by his ancestors. While undergoing the treatment, the president’s patients have to renounce alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, theft and sex.
The patients are also advised to stop taking medications made in the West such as anti-retroviral medication for the herbal treatment to take full effect.
The claim was however redicule by leading HIV/Aids specialists, who decribed Mr Jammeh as naive and promoting risky sexual behaviour in the West African country.
But speaking at the ninth anniversary of his so-called  Alternative Herbal Breakthrough on Sunday, Mr Jammeh remained defiant that his herbal treatment has effectively cured people from the deadly HIV virus.
He said despite claims by  HIV specialists that his patients would die if they stop taking antiretroviral drugs, Mr Jammeh said his treatment programme has registered huge success  and he was able to cure his patients within weeks including those who stopped taking antiretroviral drugs.
“HIV2 patients can be treated in two to three weeks while HIV1 patients are treated within one month without using western medicine,” Mr Jammeh told a large gathering of Gambians in his home village, Kanilai.
“It takes only 10 minutes to cure asthma and patients will not come back for it after years. We will continue to serve humanity to the best of our ability. I can assure that every time we meet to celebrate there will be fewer diseases.
“By the grace of the Almighty Allah, we will have very effective medicine for all types of cancer. We have tried some and we registered successes but before I make a pronouncement I want to make sure that all types of cancer can be treated because the one that is little bit sensitive and is a problem is the cervical cancer, but by the grace of the Almighty Allah we will conquer all cancers before the next anniversary.”
Mr Jammeh called on Gambians and Africans in general not to look low upon herbal and traditional medicines, which he said are more effective than some of the widely available western medicines.
He said despite the availability of hospitals and qualified doctors in the Gambia, more people taking western medicines are dying everyday compared to their grandparents who only used herbal treatment.
“Western medicine has transformed and gone through a metamorphosis which means also their qualities have changed,” he said.
“But with traditional medicine the same trees are still here, they have never changed to anything, they are still original and indigenous that is why it is more effective.
 “Am not saying you should not go to the hospital but don’t look low upon your tradition, you can always try both ways depending on what is more convenient to you but depending on western medicine alone I doubt whether we will ever live longer.”
Mr Jammeh added: “Once upon a time from Kalagi to Bullock there were no health centres. Once upon a time in rural Gambia you see a doctor once every five years. The only doctors you were seeing annually were the vetenary doctors. Livestock was more important than human beings. It was this period that our grandparents were healthier because they utilised herbs.