AFRO-NETS> Central Board nods as citizens rush for African potato

[Christine Kanyengo <ckanyengo@library.unza.zm>]

Central Board nods as citizens rush for African potato
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Source: "Health-L [Zambia]" <health-l@hivnet.ch> 


Zambia Daily Mail 
Tuesday 19th October, 19999: By Mukula Mukula

THE Central Board of Health has said the popular African potato 
that has hit the Zambian market is a medically proved wild herb 
which boosts the immune system and cures a number of diseases.

Central Board spokesman Ben Chirwa said in Lusaka yesterday 
that medical researchers in Europe and Africa have proved that 
the potato boosts the immune system and cures a number of dis-
eases.

Dr Chirwa, however, said people promoting and selling the herb 
were misinforming the buyers whom he said were made to believe 
that the herb was a breakthrough for the cure of HIV/AIDS.

He said people need literature on the potency of the African 
potato because of the misinformation currently going on. He 
said his board was reviewing the sale of the African potato in 
collaboration with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board because the 
people engaged in selling it may be selling imitations that 
could prove harmful to unsuspecting buyers.

Dr Chirwa said the drug had no side effects because it was a 
food substance which could easily be eliminated by the body's 
digestion system. He said the herb would have had side effects 
if it went directly into the blood stream.

He said his board will soon undertake civic awareness campaigns 
to educate people on the potency of the potato and how they 
must use the herb.

In Chingola, a wrangle erupted last week between members of the 
Traditional Healers and Practitioners Association of Zambia 
(THPAZ) and marketeers over the sale of the African potato. 
THPAZ members went round confiscating the potato from mar-
keteers saying they were selling it illegally.


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