News and Document archive source
copyrighted material disclaimer at bottom of page

NewsMinenature-healthhealth — Viewing Item


German doctor cures aids with garlic and olive oil { November 29 2005 }

Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
   http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/11/29/aids.safrica.ap/

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/11/29/aids.safrica.ap/

AIDS activists, doctors sue South Africa's health minister
Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Posted: 12:03 p.m. EST (17:03 GMT)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) -- Activists and doctors are taking legal action to try to force South Africa's health minister to close down the operations of a German-born doctor accused of endangering AIDS patients in one of the world's hardest hit countries.

The Treatment Action Campaign and South African Medical Association said Tuesday that Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang -- known for espousing garlic and olive oil instead of antiretroviral drugs for people with HIV -- has failed to protect public health by allowing Matthias Rath to push vitamin compounds as an alternative to antiretroviral therapy.

Leaders of the two organizations -- flanked by representatives of the trade union movement and communist party -- said at a press conference they were taking unprecedented joint legal action because they felt all other avenues had been exhausted.

"The Rath Foundation is sowing dissent and confusion among people and making our job of looking after patients with HIV very, very difficult," said the medical association's Mark Sonderup.

"Matthias Rath has come here and is using poor black people as guinea pigs," said Treatment Action Campaign general-secretary Sipho Mthathi. "We are asking our president and our political leaders to put an end to this now."

The lawsuit also named the head of the regulatory Medicines Control Council, Rath and some of his colleagues.

The Treatment Action Campaign repeatedly has clashed with Tshabalala-Msimang. It won a landmark case in 2002 forcing the government to provide the drug nevirapine to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission and waged a long-running civil disobedience campaign to force the Health Ministry to provide antiretroviral medicines.

The government began its long-awaited drug rollout program in 2003, but critics say it is woefully behind target, with an estimated 70,000 people receiving antiretrovirals through the public health sector.

An estimated 600 to 1,000 people are dying each day from AIDS-related causes. An estimated 6.3 million of South Africa's 47 million population is infected with HIV -- the highest total in the world.

Rath, who is active in the poor townships of the Western Cape, has been criticized by the World Health Organization and the scientific establishment for claiming that his supplements cure AIDS and that antiretroviral medicines are toxic.

Ralf Langner, spokesman for the Rath Foundation, said the new lawsuit was part of a long-running campaign by multinational drug companies to use fronts to sell antiretrovirals and prolong the AIDS crisis in the name of profit.

"Never before has a pharmaceutical cartel and its stakeholder shown so openly that they are willing to suppress any lifesaving information on alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs," he said in a telephone interview.

"This cartel is attacking a whole country for trying to protect its people's lives naturally."

The South African Health Ministry says there is no evidence that Rath's activities have harmed public health. The Medicines Control Council has been investigating the Rath Foundation but so far has not taken any action against it.

A group of 199 medical practitioners recently signed an open letter to health authorities in the Western Cape pleading for action. They said that thanks to Rath's foundation, "our patients are being inundated with propaganda encouraging them to stop lifesaving medicine."

The Treatment Action Campaign said at least five of Rath's patients recently died after they heeded his advice and shunned antiretroviral therapy. They included Marietta Ndziba, who appeared at a Rath press conference in June.

Diagnosed as HIV positive in 1999, Ndziba said that she could not talk or walk until she started taking Rath's compounds.

"After five days, something started to change in my body," the 29-year-old woman told journalists in June. "Now I can talk, speak and am not afraid of anything. I am so proud."

The Treatment Action Campaign said Ndziba died in October. Langner of the Rath Foundation confirmed that she was dead but said she was only one of hundreds of people taking the compounds and that the fatality rate among people on antiretrovirals was higher.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.



antibiotics
babies
cancer
cellphones
colawars
diet
drugs
obesity
smoking
toxins
1 in 3 americans have high blood pressure
1 in 3 kids 00 develop diabetes { June 15 2003 }
12 dangerous dietary supplements
Acupuncture helps arthritic knees
Alzheimers cases top 13m by 2050 { August 19 2003 }
Americans searching for pain relief { May 9 2005 }
Americans sicker than brits with more on health care { May 3 2006 }
Americans want universal health care
Antidepressants linked suicides { October 27 2003 }
Antioxidant rich foods preserve vision
Avoid drugs for migraine relief { May 4 2006 }
Beef business creates anti vegan study { February 21 2005 }
Black health worst condition { October 12 2003 }
Bran diet lowers risk of heart disease
Breastfeeding fights arthritis
Breastfeeding fights diabetes in mother
Britain leads the world in anti depressants
Britiain US worst western nations for children
Burger king down
Carpal tunnel from mouse not keyboard { June 17 2003 }
Chlorine in pools damages lungs
Cholesterol drugs not having effect
Cholesterol inhibitors in garlic identified
Chopsticks can be harmful
Dangerous dietary supplements { April 7 2004 }
Dark chocolate aids blood flow { August 29 2004 }
Dark chocolate health benefits { June 1 2004 }
Depression pills { May 7 2002 }
Doctors calls for national health insurance { August 12 2003 }
Doctors rally around universal health care
Drinking can shrink the brain { December 8 2003 }
Excercise generates new stem cells and vessels { September 5 2007 }
Exercise helps elderly mental sharpness
Exercise helps the brain work better
Facts on soy { April 13 2004 }
Faster aging with obesity and smoking { June 15 2005 }
Fats not increase stroke risk { October 3 2003 }
Federal warning on tuna mercury danger { December 11 2003 }
Fiber benefit found { May 2 2003 }
Floride linked low iq { August 25 2003 }
Garlic study may give herb a boost
German doctor cures aids with garlic and olive oil { November 29 2005 }
Girls meat milk dioxin warning
Green tea may prevent hiv { November 10 2003 }
Headphones use causes hearing loss
Heavy lifting protects heart
Heavy social drinkers show brain damage
High blood pressure up { July 9 2003 }
High lead found in boston water { April 28 2004 }
Hormone treated beef is dangerous to human health { October 16 2003 }
Hospital tries to remove mcdonalds from premises
Indians heart attack
Irradiated meat
Lead scare prompts EPA review of rules { July 23 2004 }
Loud music can damage lungs
Mcdonalds closes 175 { November 8 2002 }
Mcdonalds fries contain potential allergens
Mcdonalds lawsuit dismissed { January 22 2003 }
Mcdonalds lied again about its french fries
Mcdonalds meat fries { May 24 2001 }
Mcdonalds trans acids
Medical injuries kill 32000 annually
Milk and redmeat inflamation { September 29 2003 }
More evidence vegetarian diet may stop cancer
Ms vd
Neurologist helps people understand migraine triggers { April 27 2006 }
New study says slouching is better sitting
Nine heart risk factors { August 30 2004 }
Pills no proven to provide benefits from vegetables
Prozac may stunt growing bones
Salmon dye must be labeled { May 2 2003 }
Salmonella [pdf]
Sanitation is greatest medical milestone { January 18 2007 }
Seeds of dementia sown in midlife health diet lifestyle
Soy best for lowering cholesterol
Soy thyroid function
Stress can cause common cold or cancer
Study links drinking brain tissue loss
Supplements work
Survey finds millions new drug abusers
Sushi tuna found to have dangerous mercury levels { January 23 2008 }
Toddlers tv watching linked to attention deficit { April 5 2004 }
Tomato juice may stave off heart troubles { August 22 2004 }
Toxic mercury in environment causing autism { March 17 2005 }
Trans fats worse saturated fats { July 9 2003 }
Uncooked foods healthier { July 17 2000 }
Us health care spending surges again { January 9 2004 }
Vegan sues mcdonalds over french fries again { February 17 2006 }
Vitamins and calcium help pms symptons { June 17 2005 }
Watching TV causes hormone imbalance { June 28 2004 }
Wifi may endanger childrens health { April 22 2007 }

Files Listed: 91



Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security
Archives
Support one-state solution for Israel and Palestine Tea Party bumper stickers JFK for Dummies, The Assassination made simple