General news of Sunday 7 February 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
2021-02-07
Prof Alexander Dodoo, GSA boss
Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority, Professor Alexander Dodoo, recalled how people in the medical fraternity were robbed years ago over an alleged drug for HIV.
Ghanaweb monitored its submissions on Joy FM’s Newsfile program on February 7; where he shared expertise on the fight against coronavirus in Ghana – including the use and vaccination of hydrogen peroxide.
On the topic of controversy surrounding medical discoveries, he said: ‘… this issue is not new in Ghana, already in the early 2000s someone said that boxing serum cures HIV, and most of us are upset by saying that it does not matter you have to judge it independently, impartially and scientifically.
‘The advice is that the answer is no in connection with its use (hydrogen peroxide) for the treatment of COVID. It is a very good antiseptic, it can be used by dentists and others who know how to mix and use it, but for the general community a lot of guidance is needed, ‘he emphasized.
Other members of the panel unanimously agree with his position in which he should be careful about the use of hydrogen peroxide. They all appealed to the scientific community to increase the effectiveness of the solution for the treatment and or cure of the coronavirus.
What exactly is the boxing serum HIV cure about?
In September 2005, top officials leading Ghana’s fight against HIV / Aids rejected allegations that a boxing serum tested in Ghana offered hope to People living with HIV / Aids (PLWA).
The officers, led by prof. Fred Sai, government adviser on HIV / Aids, said no conclusive clinical trials had been conducted on the product. They referred to a media report on the virtues of serum which describes the report as false and amounts to deception of the population.
The dismissal was in response to a story that appeared in the September 6 issue of the Daily Graphic: “Hope For HIV / AIDS Persons – New serum tested here is effective.”
“We are not nearly starting to hope … we are not nearly turning the product into a drug,” Prof Sai said at a packed press conference. The Daily Graphic reported that the box serum can suppress and neutralize the HIV-2 strains in goats.
However, the then authorities at the Noguchi Memorial and Medical Institute (NMIMR) confirmed that tests performed showed that the product could respond to HIV-2 strain in goats, but the test was still preliminary.
Prof. Sai said although Ghana has reputable institutions and scientists, the promoters of the boxing serum have refused to allow the product to undergo ‘rigorous scientific testing’.
September 2005 GNA report: Officials reject claims against HIV cure