Abstract
The joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in collaboration with the World health Organization (WHO) published a report stating that, 42 million people are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) globally, where 20 million people had already died and where HIV, the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome continued to spread in all countries (Pratt, 2003). In South Africa it is estimated that a total number of 5.6 million individuals have acquired HIV infection by the end of 2003 (Department of Health, 2004).
Highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) is presently the treatment of choice for people with HIV/AIDS. These drug cocktails of protease inhibitors and nucleosides led to the first real medical progress in the treatment of the epidemic. Although most people with HIV/AIDS are encouraged by the results of using the cocktail of Antiretroviral drugs (ARV’s), a recent study published indicated that 27% of people who are HIV positive have an infection that is resistant to all three classes of HIV drugs presently available (Voelker, 2000). This evidence show that there is a need for Alternative and Complementary Therapies to treat a significant number of people living with HIV infection.
The aim of this study was to determine, by means of a questionnaire survey the perceived effect of Complementary Immune Boosters in HIV/AIDS patients in Johannesburg, Gauteng. This study also determined the knowledge people have of HIV/AIDS and how patients knew about the availability of Complementary Immune Boosters. Age, gender, marital status and employment status of patients were also determined.
This study involved acquiring questionnaire survey responses from 200 participants in Johannesburg, Gauteng. Participants were recruited from twenty health shops and pharmacies that purchase Complementary Immune Boosters. A motivating letter (Appendix A) was hand delivered to health shops and pharmacies by the researcher prior to the completion of the questionnaire (Appendix B) to notify the pharmacist or health
shop attendant about the research. Responses were recorded and correlated and analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods, including descriptive statistics.
The results of this study provide a database estimating how effective Complementary Immune Boosters are on HIV/AIDS patients and reasons why HIV/AIDS patients choose to utilize Complementary Immune Boosters to boost their immune system or to relieve some of their symptoms.
Of the 200 respondents only 40% said they are HIV positive, 22.4% said they are not and 37.6% said they do not know if they are HIV positive. The data showed that the percentages of respondents are almost equal with males (51.0%) and females 49.0%. In addition, the majority of respondents are blacks with 81.8%, the second group are whites 8.6%, and coloured 7.1% and Asians are only 2.5%. Cellfood (26.8%) was the most used product by respondents, followed by Hypoxis Hemenocallidea (African potato) 17.7%. The remaining 55,5% was shared by other Immune Boosters.
Most respondents said they consume Complementary Immune Boosters to boost their immune system. Data showed that only 1.5% of respondents were advised by their medical practitioners to use Complementary Immune Boosters. With the study done on attitudes of medical practitioners regarding Complementary medicine in South Africa, 70% of medical practitioners felt that Complementary and Alternative Medicine should play an active role in the health care system in South Africa (Selli, 2003).
The results of this study are expected to initiate further, much needed research in the area of HIV/AIDS and Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Dr. M.R.A Moiloa
Dr. S. Koopedi