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Momodou
Denmark
11717 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Feb 2007 : 19:37:33
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President Jammeh Risks Global Embarrassment
By Demba Jawo
Like most Gambians, I am quite worried about the possible repercussions of the claims by President Jammeh that he has the "mandate" to cure AIDS and other so far incurable diseases through the use of herbal concoctions and incantations from the Holy Quran. It indeed sounds as if he got the "mandate" from a spiritual deity, which smacks of superstition, and certainly not compatible with his status as a head of state.
While no doubt The Gambia and indeed all Gambians would be very proud if it is indeed proven that our head of state has got the magical formula to cure this dreaded global epidemic which has eluded even the greatest of all scientists, he seems to be risking an embarrassment of global proportions for himself as well as the whole country.
One would have expected that instead of going straight ahead with his treatments, it would have made more scientific sense if he had first subjected his concoctions to some laboratory tests to prove their effectiveness before making such a public announcement or even commence using people as guinea-pigs. Indeed it is dangerous to give false hopes to AID sufferers before even authenticating the claims.
The head of the HIV research team at the University of KwaZulu Natal and a member of South Africa's Treatment Action Campaign, Mr. Jerry Coovadia was quoted by the BBC saying that it was tragic that The Gambia had a "political environment that allows a minister of health and a president to violate every foundation of science and public health."
As a layman, I understand that HIV/AIDS is not an ordinary disease which kills people, but rather, it destroys the immune system of those infected and therefore makes it much easier for any other opportunistic disease to overwhelm them. Therefore, it is possible that President Jammeh's herbal concoctions have the potency to treat some of those opportunistic illnesses, but that certainly does not mean that they would also cure AIDS.
Just as the BBC interviewer said to Dr. Mbowe, it is a big risk for President Jammeh, who does not have any medical background, to just from the blue claim to have the medical knowledge to cure such a major infection like AIDS. The Gambia is lucky to have one of the most reputable medical research institutions in Africa; the Medical Research Council, and if indeed he had any knowledge of curing such a dreaded disease like AIDS, he should have passed his concoctions through them so that they would subject the medicine to some scientific analysis, and if possible patented before directly administering it on patients.
HIV/AIDS has become the most important disease in the world today because of the fact that it has been causing the deaths of so many people and there is as yet no cure for it. Therefore, for President Jammeh to claim to have the spiritual means to cure it, means that the eyes of the whole world would be focused on The Gambia. And if the claim turns out to be just another hoax, then it is certainly going to be very embarrassing to this country and indeed all Gambians and friends of The Gambia.
While President Jammeh is quite well known for his penchant to stir controversies, as a head of state, he certainly needs to be very careful about some of the things he says or does because they can always come back to negatively haunt him and the whole country.
Another aspect of the whole saga is the negative role being openly played by the health professionals, who are supposed to be guided by their professional ethics rather than allow themselves to be cajoled by political considerations. We would have understood Dr. Mbowe's position on the matter if he had been just any other politician, but as a health professional himself, and someone in charge of our health system, he is not expected to try to justify any unscientific approach to Medical Science issues. At least, Dr. Mbowe and the other health professionals at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital, the Department of Medical Services as well as those at the National AIDS Secretariat should have mustered the courage to tell President Jammeh the truth and be ready to face the consequences.
Dr. Mbowe has told us that many of the patients so far "treated" by President Jammeh are responding and showing some improvements, and that some lab analyses have shown that some of them are showing some negative results, but there was no indication that those found negative were indeed infected in the first place. It is even hard to see how Dr. Mbowe and his colleagues at the RVTH and NAS would risk their jobs and give any results that would embarrass President Jammeh. Therefore, the positive announcements should be handled with caution.
While we have seen some reaction from the UN system in The Gambia, as well as the WHO country office, it is a shame that their reactions were very vague and hardly said anything. It is however extremely necessary for the WHO and UN-AIDS as well as the international community to come to the rescue of the Gambian AIDS patients, who may be given false hopes and made to believe that they have been cured of the infection while they are not. Such false hopes would not only expose them to even more danger, but it also has the potential to make the general public lose confidence in the Gambian health system.
I can recall that about two years ago, there was a claim in the Daily Observer by a traditional doctor at Ghana Town that his medicines can cure AIDS, and there was such a swift reaction from the health authorities and NAS, with everyone of them condemning him for giving false hopes to AIDS patients. Yet, here we are today, with President Jammeh making exactly similar claims and instead of anyone condemning him; he is receiving all the praises from our medical professionals. This is yet another manifestation of the "Animal Farm" syndrome in this country.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 021/2007, 21-22 February, 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2007 : 20:21:41
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| yesterday at about 5pm british time our head of state his exellency ALHAGIE YAHYA AJJ JAMMEH WAS on the english tv .the channel is channel five .he was been interview by a journalist about his aids curing methods . my wife watch the interview and she was saying yaya was confidently talking and at some points a bit angry .the interviewer ask him to explain how his herbs work or what is the composition of the medicine .he refuse to say that . did any body else saw the interview ? |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2007 : 20:21:41
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| yesterday at about 5pm british time our head of state his exellency ALHAGIE YAHYA AJJ JAMMEH WAS on the english tv .the channel is channel five .he was been interview by a journalist about his aids curing methods . my wife watch the interview and she was saying yaya was confidently talking and at some points a bit angry .the interviewer ask him to explain how his herbs work or what is the composition of the medicine .he refuse to say that . did any body else saw the interview ? |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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Sanusi
70 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2007 : 20:31:08
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| I did watch the interview of President Jammeh. One thing for sure is that President Jammeh has now joined the league of Loony African Leaders. |
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Sanusi
70 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2007 : 20:31:08
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| I did watch the interview of President Jammeh. One thing for sure is that President Jammeh has now joined the league of Loony African Leaders. |
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Ousman
USA
103 Posts |
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Ousman
USA
103 Posts |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
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Ousman
USA
103 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2007 : 22:39:15
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Kondorong,
Check your audio output.The audio is working just fine. I just watched it again to make sure. |
http://Gambian.blogspot.com |
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Ousman
USA
103 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2007 : 22:39:15
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Kondorong,
Check your audio output.The audio is working just fine. I just watched it again to make sure. |
http://Gambian.blogspot.com |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2007 : 23:01:04
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| Dont blame me. I am from Yoro Bawol. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2007 : 23:01:04
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| Dont blame me. I am from Yoro Bawol. |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2007 : 23:10:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Ousman
Here is a link to yahya's sky news interview
http://news.sky.com/shared/videoasx/0,,hurd_p2623-31200-bb,00.asx
thanks ousman. i watch the clip .the guy is now officially gone. mad. |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2007 : 23:10:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Ousman
Here is a link to yahya's sky news interview
http://news.sky.com/shared/videoasx/0,,hurd_p2623-31200-bb,00.asx
thanks ousman. i watch the clip .the guy is now officially gone. mad. |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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mavaric
Turkmenistan
94 Posts |
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| Bantaba in Cyberspace |
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