The St. Dominic Hospital, at Akwatia in collaboration with other health related institutions are still conducting research into some herbal preparations, believed to help in prolonging the lives of AIDS patients.
Dr Sampson Ofori, Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of HIV/AIDS Control Programme, announced this at a debate, organised by the Eastern Regional Division of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) on Tuesday for students of the Koforidua Polytechnic on the theme " HIV/AIDS, a National Disaster".
It formed part of activities planned to mark the celebration of this year's Annual Health Week of the GMA, in the Eastern Region.
Dr Ofori said a research into the use of herbal medicine in the management of HIV/AIDS patients was taking place at the Centre For Scientific Research into Plant Medicine, at Mampong-Akwapim (CRPM) in collaboration with the Noguchi Research Institute in Accra and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi.
He explained that in all the cases the research showed that the herbal drugs could help improve the immune system of the HIV/AIDS patients.
They assist to reduce attacks by other diseases, thereby prolonging the lives of the patients, but did not cure the patients of the HIV/AIDS disease.
Dr Ofori said last year there were about 300 HIV/AIDS patients, some from West African countries that were receiving herbal preparations at the CRPM.He, therefore, expressed the hope that when the research was concluded the herbal preparations would be packaged for sale in pharmaceutical shops in the country.
Dr G. K. Norgbe, Chairman of the Eastern Regional branch of GMA, explained that delivery through caesarean session reduces the risk of babies contraction HIV/AIDS from mothers but said they could contract it if they suck the breast milk.
He said this was because research had proved that congenital infection often takes place during child delivery
