Statement on Ubhejane

?“There is no research from UKZN to support claims that traditional medicine, Ubhejane, can treat or cure AIDS,?” according to Professor Salim S Abdool Karim, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research.

Media reports on Ubhejane included comments quoting research from the University to support claims that this product can cure HIV/AIDS. ?“These comments are un-founded and misrepresent findings of preliminary research on Ubhejane at the University,?” according to Professor Nceba Gqaleni, Head of the traditional medicines research programme at the Medical School.

As a leading Aids research institution, UKZN is actively involved in research to find new ways of preventing and treating HIV/AIDS. The University recently initiated a research programme focusing on traditional medicines. A part of this programme includes research on traditional medicines and other forms of traditional healing for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Research was conducted by Professor Gqaleni on the activity of Ubhejane on cell-lines in test tubes. ?“The findings of these studies cannot be extrapolated to make conclusions about the potential action of this traditional medicine in humans. The University has not conducted any clinical trial research on patients with Ubhejane and refutes claims that research at the Uni-versity has found any benefit for HIV/AIDS patients,?” said Professor Gqaleni.

?“Ubhejane is being sold as an HIV/AIDS treatment at high cost, suggesting that profits are being made from the suffering of HIV/AIDS patients through untested claims,?” said Professor Abdool Karim, a renowned international HIV/AIDS researcher. He added that UKZN strongly supports re-search on traditional medicines, but will not allow its well established reputation for excellence in research to be abused through false therapeutic claims. New procedures are being implemented at the University to prevent false claims from being made from its research findings.