Tanzania experts on traditional
medicines have supported their government position on the use of alternative
remedies, including steam inhalation therapy, to fight coronavirus infection.
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| The Minister of State in the President’s office, Selemani Jafo |
Addressing the nation last week
President John Magufuli advised Tanzanians to use alternative remedies such as
steam inhalation therapy to ease the symptoms of COVID -19.
“Steam inhalation is
scientifically clear since vapour produced above 100 degrees centigrade can
easily dissolve the virus because it is simply an oil,” Magufuli said.
The number of COVID-19 cases in
Tanzania has today jumped to 480 after 196 people tested positive of the novel
coronavirus with six more deaths bringing the number of fatalities
to 16 since the virus was first recorded in Tanzania in March this year.
A number
of Tanzania citizens have started steaming themselves and their families using
various types of herbs.
The experts said that the
reminder by the government to encourage the use of traditional medicines calls
for joint efforts between traditional medicine practitioners and other
stakeholders to use their knowledge and expertise in serving the public and
ultimately obtain a cure for the respiratory disease.
The Minister of State in the
President’s office, Selemani Jafo, said that steam inhalation therapy was used
before, during and after colonialism in our country to treat various diseases
such as respiratory-related like difficulties in breathing, cough and flu
adding that the country also have traditional medicines for strengthening body
immunity.
He said
that apart from other formal strides taken by the government and stakeholders
to fight the spread of the disease, steam inhalation was crucial during this
terrible time.
"As
some of experts recommend the use of several ways to fight the pandemic, it is
high time we adopt alternative ways including steam inhalation, this sounds as
one of the effective way to curb the spread of the infections," he said.
The minister also urged families to ensure they take balanced diet with
more of ginger, garlic, watermelon, oranges, lemon and lime among other things.
"We should not wait for white people's approval to use the natural
remedies, let us join efforts and use our own ways to survive, organic
medicines are vital and we should not ignore them," Jafo stressed.
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| Director of the Institute of Traditional Medicine at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Joseph Otieno |
The Director of the Institute of
Traditional Medicine at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
(MUHAS), Joseph Otieno, said in an interview with a local television that steam
inhalation was not a preventive measures, but rather, can be useful to a
patient who has contracted the respiratory disease.
He said steam therapy is used to
treat a number of diseases, including stress to reduce the amount of
cholesterol in the body and regulate blood vessels.
He advised the public to continue
taking steam therapy even after the COVID-19 is eradicated.
Otieno further said that people
taking steam therapy should not mix more than three herbs for the medicine to
be effective and close their eyes to avoid damaging the organs.
Early this month, the former Executive
Director of UN-HABITAT, Anna Tibaijuka, advised the government to have an alternative plan
in the fight against coronavirus pandemic.
The current Member of Parliament
for Muleba South, said although patients were treated using conventional
medicines, even traditional ones have proved effective in other nations in
managing the disease.
“It was high time the government
encouraged the use of traditional remedies, especially steam therapy.” She said.
 |
| Former Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Anna Tibaijuka |
Experts have called for traditional
medicine practitioners in collaboration with experts from research institutes,
including Government Chemist Laboratory Authority, National Institute for
Medical Research (NIMR), Sokoine University for Agriculture (SUA), Tanzania
Forest Service Agency (TFS) and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied
sciences (MUHAS) to use the natural plants available in the country to come up
with medication for the disease.
To
date, there are no specific vaccines or medicines for COVID-19 according
to World Health Organization. – Africa
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