‘Don’t substitute COA FS for Anti-Retroviral Therapy’ - COA

The Centre of Awareness (COA) on Thursday reassured its numerous clients across the globe of the safety and efficacy of its COA FS product as a food supplement.

Dr Samuel Ato Duncan, the Executive President of COA, explained that the product was not for any therapeutic purposes, neither was it a replacement for Anti-Retroviral Therapy or a cure for HIV/AIDS and must, therefore, not be substituted as such.

Addressing a press conference in Accra, Dr Duncan said the product was a dietary supplement that supported the immune system to fight a variety of deadly diseases naturally.

It also improves appetite in addition to increasing energy levels and the general wellbeing of users, he said.

Dr Duncan, therefore, advised all its clients who were on other orthodox medications not to substitute them with the COA FS, but to consult their medical physicians on how to combine both products.

He said the product had been registered with the Food and Drugs Authority and undergone rigorous scientific laboratory analysis by internationally recognised research institutions including the Akuapem-Mampong Centre for Plant Medicine.

It has, therefore, been approved for sale to the public hence the safety of the product should never be in contention.

Dr Duncan said COA was compelled by the numerous questions and calls from its clients both in Ghana and globally to explain and set the records straight on the matters arising from media publications and interviews granted by the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council.

He said the confusion had resulted from some unfortunate misinformation by some peddlers of the food supplement that it was a cure for HIV/AIDS.

“We have no doubt that an over-zealous member of staff or agent might have given a wrong impression that the COA FS has therapeutic ability; but at no time has the Centre deliberately, officially or otherwise informed the public that the COA FS could be used for therapeutic purposes”.

He said being a purely herbal extract that comprised over 113 organic compounds, notably the triterpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, cardiac glycoside, reducing sugars and vitamins, the COA FS had the ability to fight infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites to prevent inflammatory disorders and improve metabolic pathways.

Maintaining the Immune System as the body’s key natural defence mechanism was crucial for the prevention of diseases and the restoration of damaged body organs and tissues, adding that everybody was at risk of immunodeficiency disorders.

He said circumstances such as aging, lack of sleep and illnesses including HIV and diabetes resulted in the weakening of the immune system such that they could no longer protect the body.

Dr Duncan said COA, which was a locally established vibrant social non-governmental organisation in the Central Region, was committed to serving humanity irrespective of their colour, race, position, political or religious affiliation.

It was also, among other objectives, to research and develop drugs that could treat and cure many deadly diseases that affected humanity and threaten their existence.

Some clients, who had benefited from the use of the COA FS, were at the press conference to testify to how the product had helped in improving their individual conditions and had now become ambassadors for the Centre.

They included “DJ Black” a radio presenter with the Multi-Media Group, who was medically diagnosed with chronic kidney failure and was put on dialysis for six months, Madam Islamia Yusif, a breast cancer survivor, and Madam Martha Hammond, a diabetes and stroke patient.