NationStates Jolt Archive

Yahya Jammeh, President of the Gambia, is claiming he is able to cure people with AIDS, using some secret remedy that he refuses to explain. He has invited Gambians to come to him to be cured, but asks that they cease all other treatment and rely solely on him.

And, indeed, some people have stopped seeking any other treatment than the President's mystery "miracle cure".

What the hell is he thinking?!

There's a video here (http://www.france24.com/france24Public/fr/nouvelles/afrique.html), in French. Select "Le président gambien prétend soigner le sida".

Well, Mbeki of South Africa was similarly ignorant.

And the President of Iran recently claimed that Iranian scientists had found a simple herbal cure for AIDS.

If they are right, then nothing bad will happen. If they're wrong, millions of people will be misled to their deaths.

If they are right, then nothing bad will happen. If they're wrong, millions of people will be misled to their deaths.

Indeed...

The BBC has a brief article here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6390319.stm), but less detailed than the France24 video report.


Yahya Jammeh said his herbal medicine, taken orally and applied to the skin, cures the disease in three days.


The Gambian President's website, on the other hands, has several articles claiming that Jammeh's critics are all liars. :rolleyes:


The Gambia however is now getting used to such negative attitudes across the border [i.e. in Senegal]. But this will not deter President Jammeh from striving to make the Gambia number one, and the discovery of the Aids cure by President Jammeh has put the Gambia on the number one spot in the race to find a cure for Hiv/Aids. This discovery will not endear President Jammeh to the protagonists of Western medical science, who have interest in the peddling of ineffective Western drugs that have dangerous side effects, in contrast to President Jammeh's natural herbal medication that has no side effects. We conclude by reminding all Africans, and for that matter all reasoning people around the world, that President Jammeh's discovery is God sent and intended for the poor, in the service of humanity.

(Source (http://www.statehouse.gm/editorial_230207.htm))


Nine Hiv/Aids patients currently undergoing President Yahya Jammeh's treatment are responding to treatment, as their general conditions improved.

According to a press release from the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare, the patients were examined clinically and weighed before the start of the treatment.
Three of them had HIV 2, while the rest got HIV 1.

[...]

Two of the patients were extremely weak and could hardly stand. Shortly after the administration of the first dose of the treatment, within 24 hours, the patients were able to walk and run. On the evening of the second day, those with upper respiratory tract infection had their chest symptoms disappear and felt better.


(Source (http://www.statehouse.gm/presrls_hiv-treatmnt_290107.htm))

We can either be glad that it works...

Or we can set perceptions of Africa back a hundred years. Whichever.

Its likely that any 'positive response' to this 'treatment' are entirely psychosematic. In most cultures, when a clear authority figure tells you you are cured, you tend to believe them. Although soon enough these peoples' bodies will have to disagree and it will be clear how wrong President Jammeh is.

Alas, whenever Africa makes one step forward, it does a silly juju dance a couple of steps back.

They may be right, it depends. There has been marked health improvement by some people.

I am willing to say if people are actually putting any faith in it, it may be an fairly effective treatment (As herbs are an effective treatment for many things, many of our medicines come from such herbs) but NOT a cure.

It is in the interest of the world powers to keep the cure for AIDs from the public. AIDs should be called the Overpopulation Control Virus. This may sound crazy, but many notable scientists and researchers say that there is some proof that AIDs may have been Bioengineered, or at the very least some say the result of something that was bioengineered and resulted in an accidental mutation (Not unlikely considering the medical testing done by pharmaceutical companies in Africa.)

And, by Neo-Malthusian theory it is in the interest of the world powers to keep the world's population down.

In Facing the Limits to Growth the authors of the influential 1972 study "Limits to Growth" tell of the difficulty in getting the idea of the necessity of limiting human population growth past "Entrenched political, economic, and religious cliques"." These were the authors of of the report presented to and published by the Club of Rome.

We can either be glad that it works...

If it works, it would be miraculous. I remain... well, "extremely sceptical" would be putting it mildly.


Or we can set perceptions of Africa back a hundred years. Whichever.

The Gambia. Not "Africa". This is an issue in a specific country.

Yahya Jammeh, President of the Gambia, is claiming he is able to cure people with AIDS, using some secret remedy that he refuses to explain. He has invited Gambians to come to him to be cured, but asks that they cease all other treatment and rely solely on him.

And, indeed, some people have stopped seeking any other treatment than the President's mystery "miracle cure".

What the hell is he thinking?!

There's a video here (http://www.france24.com/france24Public/fr/nouvelles/afrique.html), in French. Select "Le président gambien prétend soigner le sida".

He's thinking that he is God's prophet and able to heal people.

*starts reading the Sermon on the Mount*

Cure for AIDS? Sweet...now I can get back to paying for sex directly, instead of buying a girl dinner and crossing my fingers. :p

He's thinking that he is God's prophet and able to heal people.


Apparently... I am actually wondering what he's thinking. Does he really believe what he's saying? Or is it some extremely cynical (and downright criminal) political ploy?