[afro-nets] Prolonging Survival Among Children Without Access to ART (4)

[Bradford McIntyre <bradford@positivelypositive.ca>]

Prolonging Survival Among Children Without Access to ART (4)
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Reply to Wendy Holmes MB BS MSc
Deputy Director Technical Programs
Centre for International Health


 From the early beginnings of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, no treatment
forced people into action! People infected sought out complemen-
tary therapies and supplements and created a network, - a net-
work for wellness! More people collaborated, sharing experiences
and the information network spread, providing anecdotes on im-
mune boosters, vitamin supplements, herbs, botanicals and tinc-
tures. The understanding grew and people acknowledged how impor-
tant it is to keep the body strong and healthy.

There is very little mention or recognition given by the govern-
ment, medical profession, pharmaceutical companies or media, of
the successes of people who are addressing their health through
vitamin supplements, herbs and botanicals, complementary thera-
pies and/or naturopathic medicine. The nutritional aspect of
HIV/AIDS has been ignored for a long time. The attention has al-
ways focused on drugs.

There are no shortages of researchers exploring the positive
benefits of vitamin supplementation and complementary and alter-
native medicine. However, government funding very often never
materializes! Without government funding, how can there be any
'evidence-based' medicine for complementary therapies? Govern-
ments lag in funding, while science and the general public al-
ready realize the benefits of complementary therapies.

All over the world there are people infected with HIV who are
reversing damage caused by HIV and actually rebuilding the im-
mune system by replacement therapy!

Funding, education, implementation of complementary therapies
and recognizing the importance of securing their place in health
care, is paramount! We should be studying the use of supplements
and including them in our health care. Funding is necessary for
additional research and fast tracking the implementation of
them, providing positive effects for individuals with disease.
Saving people's lives! It is the responsibility of governments
around the world to include and provide these life-saving, natu-
ral alternatives in health care systems and ensure natural sup-
plements continue to be available. With choice there is hope!

People have been successful at staying healthy and/or having
wellness restored time after time using complementary therapies,
with or without HIV/AIDS medications. We must acknowledge and
give credibility to this reality! We must acknowledge all of the
many contributions by people infected with HIV. They are the
same people who raised funds and started AIDS organizations,
thereby providing and developing treatment libraries, which con-
tained files on all the alternative treatments used by people
living with HIV/AIDS. When HIV/AIDS drugs did become available,
HIV/AIDS research and drug treatment information was included in
these libraries.

I am including this link to AIDS & HIV: Alternative Medicine Re-
sources:
http://www.pitt.edu/~cbw/hiv.html

P.S.

With regards to comments on the safety of vitamin supplements in
the treatment of HIV and AIDS, there are far fewer side effects
and deaths; when compared to those caused by the pharmaceuticals
used to treat HIV and AIDS! In my experience, individuals who
are using vitamin supplements and complementary therapies; they
are reducing the side effects of the drugs enabling them to con-
tinue with a drug regime, when they might have otherwise discon-
tinued taking the drugs.

Bradford McIntyre
HIV+ 20 years, Canada
mailto:bradford@positivelypositive.ca
http://www.PositivelyPositive.ca