RTL Today – Fact Check: No, this honey-based potion does not cure HIV and hepatitis

A potion made from honey would make it possible to “end definitively” with HIV and hepatitis, according to a recipe shared hundreds of times on Facebook. However, this treatment has no scientific basis and does not cure HIV or hepatitis, according to specialists contacted by AFP.

According to the author of this publication Facebook“to end definitively with HIV AIDS and chronic hepatitis (sic)”, here are the ingredients to bring together: “1 Liter of Pure Honey, 4 Aloe Vera Leaves Gel, 5 Garlic Cloves, 4 Tablespoons of Whiskey, 4 Tablespoons of MORINGA Oleifera Powder (sic)”.

Then comes the recipe:Clean the 5 cloves of garlic and grated then mix with the other ingredients“. The dosage would consist of “drink 2 tablespoons in the morning on an empty stomach and 2 tablespoons in the evening at bedtime for 2 months (sic)”.

Finally, the author asserts thatyou will be totally cured of AIDS or hepatitis !” before shelling out other supposed virtues of the ingredients that make up his potion.

This post has been shared hundreds of times since January 2022, including in Benin, Togo and Ivory Coast (1, 2, 3, 4).

A CURE WITHOUT SCIENTIFIC BASIS

Viral disease specialists contacted by AFP agree that this mixture of ingredients is not a recognized treatment for HIV infection – the virus that causes AIDS – nor for hepatitis .

“The content presented by this Facebook post has no scientific basis for the treatment of HIV or hepatitis“, told AFP on August 11, 2022 Dr. Camille Anoma, executive director of the Ivorian NGO Espace Confiance, which fights once morest HIV.

“For each of these diseases there are indicated treatments. The drugs approved for HIV are antiretrovirals (ARVs). With regard to hepatitis, the treatment depends on the type of hepatitis and the recommendations of the countries guide the attitude to have“, specifies the doctor specializing in the management of viral diseases and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in populations at risk.

For Dr Fodé Simaga, Director of Science, Systems and Services at UNAIDS, “The facts are clear. There is not yet a cure for HIV, but there are effective treatments which, if started early and taken regularly, can lead to long and healthy lives,” that is to say antiretrovirals, he explained to AFP on August 10, 2022.

UNAIDS valued that regarding 38.4 million people were living with HIV in 2021, and that 28.7 million people had access to antiretroviral therapy in the same year.

“ARVs work once morest HIV infection by blocking the reproduction of the virus in the body. When a person living with HIV is on effective antiretroviral therapy, the virus is completely suppressed and HIV cannot be passed on to others“, explains Dr. Fodé Simaga.

Regarding viral hepatitis, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) they are “classified from A to G according to the family of the virus in question“. Detected early, hepatitis can be treated and cured with antiretrovirals.

The WHO states that “affordable measures, such as vaccination, safer sex, blood safety, injection safety and food safety, can reduce the transmission of viral hepatitis“.

For HIV, WHO encourages preventative measures following: “condom-protected sex (male or female), blood safety, injection safety, behavior change interventions for limiting the number of sexual partners and treatment of people living with HIV in the aim to reduce viral load and prevent onward transmission of the virus“.

THE RISKS OF SELF-MEDICATION

NGOs working in the fight once morest HIV and STIs are concerned regarding the proliferation of false information on antiretrovirals, and especially those touting “miracle” solutions shared on social networks.

These types of posts “can actually push a patient to abandon their treatment, which will lead to the replication of the virus in patients“, says Anderson Kouassi Boni, executive director of Lumière Action, an Ivorian NGO fighting once morest HIV.

According to the experts interviewed by AFP, the use of self-medication or the joint use of antiretrovirals and substances not recommended by doctors can have consequences serious on patients, in particular by damaging vital organs such as the kidney, lungs, liver, etc.

“The risks are harmful to the health of the people concerned because they abandon approved medications or because the products used for self-medication can compete with others, or because the sum of all these medications has consequences on kidney function.“, emphasizes Dr. Camille Anoma.