Death, disease, destiny and homeopathy.

Photo: Funeral of an Aids victim in Malawi.

There is no doubt that Death is a frequent visitor in Africa as it is in the Third World in general but somehow the impact of things like HIV/Aids is much greater here.

The disease is wiping out a generation, probably two generations,  leaving tens of thousands of orphans in the care of grandparents or the State. Malawi is no exception and there are around one and a half million Aids orphans in this country. as it stands too many are destined to die and too many are destined to be orphaned.

The stark truth is that HIV/Aids is de-populating Africa with tens of millions of people already dead across this huge continent. And it's impact is felt powerfully in the ranks of soldiers, decimating the military, which might be a good thing, but also in the ranks of teachers, once thought to be a primary resource for preventing HIV infection. In Botswana for example, 35-40% of secondary school teachers are infected with HIV and in 1999, 100,000 South African children lost their teachers to AIDS. I don't have figures for Malawi but it won't be better - it will be as bad or worse. The loss of teachers is probably the worst part of it, after the loss of parents, because education is crucial to this continent making progress. The future looks bleak.

After two and a half years here the deaths just keep stacking up, as do the infections. I have heard of dozens of deaths and countless dozens of infections, or possible infections given that most disease or symptoms are called malaria but often are not and my experience of Africa is that most people won't admit to HIV/Aids because of the stigma.

I cannot think of an individual I have met here who has not lost one, two, three or more family members from the disease. Word does get out and often it is easy enough to put two and two together. The dying can be slow and often is.

For a complex collection of reasons conventional medicine doesn't seem to get far. It is partly cost, partly corruption, partly inefficiency but half the time the drugs don't help much and in Malawi, the word is, more often than not they get fed to the chickens to boost growth. It's another reason why we don't eat the local chickens. But the fact that they end up being used in this way is a sign that the locals don't find them useful, or don't see them healing or helping as they are meant to.

Photo: Aids orphans in Malawi.



One could argue that the influence of native doctors, or traditional healers,  puts people off muzungu medicine but I don't believe that. Most people are more than happy to go to the clinic or hospital for treatment. They turn away if it doesn't work which is pretty much what happens in the world at large and which accounts for the massive turn toward Traditional Medicine in the modern world. People are not stupid whether they are educated or not, or rich or poor. If something can be seen to work then people will make use of it.

And, even more worrying, for the course of the AIDS epidemic, resistance to antiretroviral drugs is increasing in parts of Africa, according to a new study by the World Health Organization and University College London published in The Lancet.

Antiretroviral Drug Resistance Growing for Africa AIDS Cases

www.nytimes.com


This may well be because drugs used here are corrupted, out of date, or simply not administered properly - or it may just be the fact that in Africa, AIDS is more powerful and innovative than in other places. Whatever the reason it is not working which brings me to a new initiative from homeopaths,Homeopathy for health in Africa, www.homeopathyforhealthinafrica.org,a medical treatment which approaches disease by seeking to get the body and its immune system functioning properly so it can fight the disease, which is of course, how healthy bodies work all of the time.

There is no doubt that the immune responses of people here are compromised from the moment of conception because of inadequate nutrition and then later, malaria and continued inadequate nutrition. Homeopathy works at a physiological, psychological, emotional and spiritual level in ways which stimulate the body's natural protective and healing mechanisms. If the body is in balance then any disease and all disease can be resisted. Restoring balance at an 'energy' level - a word which drives those who oppose Homeopathy utterly insane, but I can think of no other to use - is the focus.

Photo: The pharmacy at the Royal Homeopathic Hospital in London.

In essence what we call energy is a force, a vibration and even scientists will use the word energy including at the sub-atomic level where they talk about potentiality which is energy, or the vibratory nature of this world. Everything in the universe moves and vibrates at one speed or another.

The scientific definition of energy is: the capacity of a physical system to perform work. Energy exists in several forms such as heat, kinetic or mechanical energy, light, potential energy, electrical, or other forms.So 'energy' in homeopathic terms is a remedy which triggers a 'vibration' or 'connection' which stimulates the body toward balance.

In essence the remedy, 'reminds' the body of it's own natural 'vibration' (which is why different people may need different remedies for the same disease or symptom) through targeting that which has thrown the body out of balance, hence triggering a process whereby the body returns to balance and therefore no longer has need of the symptom or the disease.

Given the fact that homeopathy as a healing methodology does no harm and the remedies cannot cause injury or death if you forget to take them, take too many, or take too few, it might be something suited to Africa given that it does not matter if the remedies are not administered or fed to chickens because they cannot hurt.

Homeopathy has become increasingly popular in India where it is the fastest-growing form of medicine and perhaps for similar reasons.  The homeopathic market is growing in India at a rate of 30% annually  It works and it can't really be abused or misused in the way that pharmaceuticals can.

Photo: An Indian government advertisement recommending homeopathic treatment for flu.  

As Dana Ullman, noted homeopath writes: 

Presently, there are over 100,000 homeopathic doctors and over 100 four- and five-year homeopathic medical colleges in (India). Considering how many more trained homeopaths there are in India compared with the U.S., perhaps one day India will send a Peace Corps team of homeopathic physicians to America. 


Homeopathy has achieved such respect that in 1987 the government established homeopathic drug detox clinics in six different police stations in New Delhi. A recent conference in India which described impressive results in the homeopathic treatment of drug addiction received accolades from India's Minister of Health and Family Welfare, the Finance Minister, and the Chief Justice.¹² In addition to the Indian government's support of homeopathic drug detox clinics, they have also supported various research projects and homeopathic hospitals and clinics.

Even Mother Teresa, who for many decades has served India's poorest citizens with medical care, has added homeopathic care to the services offered at her missions. Mother Teresa has a special interest in homeopathic medicine because of its effectiveness and low cost.

At present, four charitable homeopathic dispensaries are run under the guidance of the Mother's Missionaries of Charity. One of these dispensaries primarily provides homeopathic medicines to poor and sick children in Calcutta, while the other three provide homeopathic medicines to anyone who needs them. Considering the serious health problems that poor people in India experience, it is truly miraculous that homeopathic medicines are so effective as the primary method of treatment for many children and many adults.

Mother Teresa opened her first charitable homeopathic dispensary in Calcutta in 1950.

-http://www.homeopathic.com/Articles/Introduction_to_Homeopathy, /The_Present_Status_of_Homeopathy_Internation.html

Of course cost is a major factor  in any medical treatment, and economy is even more crucial in the Third World.

'Allopathic medicines cost more than homeopathic medicines. Due to the low cost, homeopathy is more affordable to most of India's population. Only allopathic and aryurveda medicines are more popular in India than homeopathy. 10% of India uses homeopathic remedies which makes India the #1 consumer of homeopathic medicine in the world.

India has done extensive research on homeopathic medicines. There are 40+ research institutions administering various clinical studies. Most of the research centres are publicly funded.

Homeopathic scientific research has been carried out by Dr. Prasanta Banerji & Dr. Pratip Banerji. They studied homeopathic medicine on brain cancer which was collabrated by University of Texas MD Anderson Center. The trials demonstrated that Ruta 6C and Cal Phos 3X aids in eliminating cancerous brain cells but does not damage normal brain cells.

Other type of cancers have been handle by these homeopathic physicians. The doctors have treated cancer successfully in 30 to 40% of the cases.'
http://www.ubscure.com/Art/9937/198/India-Embraces-Homeopathy.html

Homeopathy 'fits' nicely into India's own medical practice, Ayurveda, but Africans have their own home-grown medical treatments, many of which are effective and deserving of both respect and use. In the best of worlds, both here and in the developed world, making use of all healing methodologies makes sense and will, I believe, ultimately be the outcome everywhere. After all, what those who are ill or suffering want is to be healed and those who seek to heal want to provide that. If one thing does not work then try another....

All I know is given the suffering I have seen and continue to see around me that anything is worth a try. I happen to find Homeopathy to be very effective and have no doubt that it may well be able to help here. Some doctors and nurses may have their doubts or even voice opposition but  I suspect they will be few given that everyone wants to help and anything is worth a try.. The reality of Africa is that everything is 'needs based' and doctors and nurses here have a long history of working with traditional African medicine as well as homeopathy - they just don't make a fuss about it.


Some care is required in handling and administering homeopathic medicine but the remedies are far more durable in the circumstance and climate of Africa than many pharmaceuticals. The success of homeopathy in India is an indication of its suitability for Third World use.