Ubhejane: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 03:16, 3 April 2025

South African herbal remedy marketed for HIV/AIDS

Ubhejane (also stylized as uBhejane, Zulu for "black rhinoceros") is a South African herbal medicine that has been marketed as an alternative treatment for HIV/AIDS. Despite its popularity in some communities, it remains controversial due to the lack of scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness and safety.

Overview[edit]

Ubhejane is claimed by its creator, Zeblon Gwala, a former truck driver from KwaZulu-Natal, to be an effective treatment for HIV/AIDS. Gwala has stated that the concept came to him in a dream. The product is presented as a natural alternative to conventional antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Gwala has asserted that Ubhejane can be used either alongside or in place of standard antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), claiming it has no side effects. However, this advice has raised significant concern among medical professionals and public health experts.

The cost of Ubhejane has been reported to vary between $25 and $50 USD, making it more affordable than some conventional medications, particularly for people in low-income communities.

Composition[edit]

Ubhejane is composed of two liquid herbal mixtures, sold in bottles with different colored caps:

Blue Cap Bottle – Marketed as targeting the HIV virus.
White Cap Bottle – Advertised as a booster for the immune system.

According to Gwala, the remedy contains 89 different medicinal plants, which are sourced from various parts of Africa. The product is described as a dark, liquid tonic, and is reportedly mixed and bottled by hand.

The full list of ingredients has never been publicly disclosed, and critics have raised concerns about the potential for unknown interactions or toxicity. Notably, AIDS expert Dennis Sifris criticized Gwala for his refusal to share the formulation, calling for transparency and scientific evaluation.

Medical and Scientific Criticism[edit]

Mainstream medical and scientific communities have widely criticized Ubhejane. Key concerns include:

Lack of clinical trials: No peer-reviewed studies have validated its safety or effectiveness.
Discouragement of ARVs: Advising patients to forgo proven antiretroviral treatment is considered dangerous.
Unknown ingredients: The undisclosed formulation poses a potential health risk, particularly when taken alongside ARVs or other medications.

The South African Department of Health and numerous AIDS advocacy organizations have warned against the use of unproven remedies like Ubhejane, especially when used as a substitute for life-saving antiretroviral therapy.

Cultural and Social Impact[edit]

Ubhejane gained popularity during a time when misinformation about HIV/AIDS treatment was widespread in South Africa. It has been seen by some as a symbol of traditional African healing and autonomy, but by others as part of the country's troubled response to the HIV/AIDS crisis, especially under the administration of Thabo Mbeki.

Despite criticism, Ubhejane remains in use among some segments of the population, often due to cultural beliefs, distrust of pharmaceuticals, or lack of access to conventional healthcare.

Regulatory and Legal Status[edit]

Ubhejane is not registered as a medicine by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). As of the most recent public updates, there have been no official regulatory approvals based on safety, quality, or efficacy.

Attempts to legally challenge its sale or promotion have been complicated by South Africa's laws on traditional medicine, which offer some leeway for remedies used within cultural or indigenous contexts.

External links[edit]

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-'''Ubhejane''' (sometimes stylized as '''uBhejane''', [[Zulu language|Zulu]] for "black rhinoceros")<ref name="guardian">{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/sep/15/matthiasrath.aids | title=No drugs, just take vitamins: the dangerous advice to cure HIV | work=The Guardian | date=14 September 2008 | accessdate=2 March 2015 | author=McGreal, Chris}}</ref> is a South African [[herbal medicine]] marketed as a treatment for [[HIV/AIDS]], reportedly the most popular [[alternative medicine]] treatment for the disease in [[South Africa]].<ref name=guardian/> It was invented by former truck driver Zeblon Gwala, who has claimed that he got the idea for it in a dream.<ref name=specter>{{cite web | url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/03/12/the-denialists | title=The Denialists | work=New Yorker | date=12 March 2007 | accessdate=2 March 2015 | author=Specter, Michael}}</ref> Gwala advises his patients to take ubhejane instead of [[antiretroviral drugs]] (ARVs),<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/view/1106/559 | title=Taking Ubhejane by the Horns | work=South African Medical Journal | date=May 2006 | accessdate=2 March 2015 | author=Bateman, Chris | pages=382}}</ref> saying that while both ubhejane and ARVs work, ubhejane, unlike ARVs, does not have side effects.<ref name=guardian/> The price at which ubhejane was sold has been reported variously at $25 and $50 US dollars.<ref name=nattrass/><ref name=sun2/>
+{{Short description|South African herbal remedy marketed for HIV/AIDS}}
+[[File:Ngorongoro Spitzmaulnashorn.jpg|thumb|''Ubhejane'' means "black rhinoceros" in [[Zulu language|Zulu]]]]
+'''Ubhejane''' (also stylized as '''uBhejane''', Zulu for "black rhinoceros") is a [[South Africa]]n [[herbal medicine]] that has been marketed as an alternative treatment for [[HIV/AIDS]]. Despite its popularity in some communities, it remains controversial due to the lack of scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness and safety.
-==Ingredients==
+== Overview ==
-Ubhejane consists of two herbal remedies: one is sold in a bottle with a blue cap, the other in a bottle with a white one. Both are black and liquid in appearance. The blue one, according to Gwala, fights the virus that causes AIDS, and the other is said to boost the [[immune system]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q4CILXFDtJgC&pg=PA85 | title=Debunking Delusions: The Inside Story of the Treatment Action Campaign | publisher=Jacana Media | author=Geffen, Nathan | year=2010 | pages=85}}</ref> Ubhejane has 89 herbal ingredients, which Gwala says he collects from all over Africa and mixes together by hand.<ref name=cullinan>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QjCH8wIoL4AC&pg=PA150 | title=The Virus, Vitamins and Vegetables: The South African HIV/AIDS Mystery | publisher=Jacana Media | author=Cullinan, Kerry | year=2009 | pages=149}}</ref> Gwala was criticized by AIDS expert Dennis Sifris for refusing to reveal the ingredients of ubhejane.<ref name=sun2/>
-==Research==
+Ubhejane is claimed by its creator, [[Zeblon Gwala]], a former truck driver from KwaZulu-Natal, to be an effective treatment for HIV/AIDS. Gwala has stated that the concept came to him in a dream. The product is presented as a [[complementary and alternative medicine|natural alternative]] to conventional [[antiretroviral therapy]] (ART).
-In 2005, Gwala approached the dean of [[University of KwaZulu-Natal]]'s medical school to ask them to conduct a clinical trial of ubhejane, but he said it was too soon for this, and suggested performing lab tests instead. The results of these tests showed that ubhejane was not toxic to cells, and that it kills bacteria.<ref name=sun2>{{cite web | url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2006-08-20/news/0608200169_1_bheki-south-africa-antiretrovirals/2 | title=For some in Africa, it's 'magic' over pills | work=Baltimore Sun | date=20 August 2006 | accessdate=6 March 2015 | author=Calvert, Scott | page=2}}</ref> One of ubhejane's most outspoken promoters, [[Herbert Vilakazi]], claimed that this research had shown that the remedy was effective, but the university subsequently released a statement saying that this was not the case.<ref name=nattrass/>
-==Reaction==
-===Support===
-Among the notable supporters of ubhejane was [[Obed Mlaba]], who was the mayor of [[Durban]] during the 2000s,<ref name=cullinan/> as well as former South African health minister [[Manto Tshabalala-Msimang]].<ref name=specter/> Gwala has responded to criticisms by saying that he has not claimed that ubhejane is a cure for HIV/AIDS, and that he has not told any of his patients to stop taking ARVs.<ref name="sun1">{{cite web | url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2006-08-20/news/0608200169_1_bheki-south-africa-antiretrovirals | title=For some in Africa, it's `magic' over pills | work=Baltimore Sun | date=20 August 2006 | accessdate=6 March 2015 | author=Calvert, Scott | pages=1}}</ref>
-===Opposition===
+Gwala has asserted that Ubhejane can be used either alongside or in place of standard [[antiretroviral drugs]] (ARVs), claiming it has no side effects. However, this advice has raised significant concern among medical professionals and public health experts.
-In 2007, the [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]] Party of South Africa requested a police investigation of Gwala, whom it described as a "backyard chemist" manufacturing a "fake AIDS cure."<ref name=guardian/> Ubhejane has also been implicated in causing liver failure, as well as causing the development of drug resistance, in some patients who took it.<ref name=nattrass>{{cite journal|last1=Nattrass|first1=N.|title=AIDS and the Scientific Governance of Medicine in Post-Apartheid South Africa|journal=African Affairs|date=16 February 2008|volume=107|issue=427|pages=157–176|doi=10.1093/afraf/adm087}}</ref>
-==References==
+The cost of Ubhejane has been reported to vary between $25 and $50 USD, making it more affordable than some conventional medications, particularly for people in low-income communities.
-{{Reflist|30em}}
-[[Category:Alternative medicine]]
+== Composition ==
-[[Category:Herbalism]]
-[[Category:HIV/AIDS in South Africa]]
+Ubhejane is composed of two liquid herbal mixtures, sold in bottles with different colored caps:
-{{dictionary-stub1}}
-__NOINDEX__
+* '''Blue Cap Bottle''' – Marketed as targeting the [[Human immunodeficiency virus|HIV]] virus.
-{{No image}}
+* '''White Cap Bottle''' – Advertised as a booster for the [[immune system]].
-__NOINDEX__
+According to Gwala, the remedy contains 89 different [[medicinal plants]], which are sourced from various parts of [[Africa]]. The product is described as a dark, liquid tonic, and is reportedly mixed and bottled by hand.
+The full list of ingredients has never been publicly disclosed, and critics have raised concerns about the potential for unknown interactions or toxicity. Notably, AIDS expert [[Dennis Sifris]] criticized Gwala for his refusal to share the formulation, calling for transparency and scientific evaluation.
+== Medical and Scientific Criticism ==
+Mainstream [[medical]] and [[scientific]] communities have widely criticized Ubhejane. Key concerns include:
+* '''Lack of clinical trials''': No [[peer-reviewed]] studies have validated its safety or effectiveness.
+* '''Discouragement of ARVs''': Advising patients to forgo proven antiretroviral treatment is considered dangerous.
+* '''Unknown ingredients''': The undisclosed formulation poses a potential health risk, particularly when taken alongside ARVs or other medications.
+The [[South African Department of Health]] and numerous AIDS advocacy organizations have warned against the use of unproven remedies like Ubhejane, especially when used as a substitute for life-saving antiretroviral therapy.
+== Cultural and Social Impact ==
+Ubhejane gained popularity during a time when misinformation about HIV/AIDS treatment was widespread in South Africa. It has been seen by some as a symbol of traditional African healing and autonomy, but by others as part of the country's troubled response to the HIV/AIDS crisis, especially under the administration of [[Thabo Mbeki]].
+Despite criticism, Ubhejane remains in use among some segments of the population, often due to cultural beliefs, distrust of pharmaceuticals, or lack of access to conventional healthcare.
+== Regulatory and Legal Status ==
+Ubhejane is not registered as a [[medicine]] by the [[South African Health Products Regulatory Authority]] (SAHPRA). As of the most recent public updates, there have been no official regulatory approvals based on safety, quality, or efficacy.
+Attempts to legally challenge its sale or promotion have been complicated by South Africa's laws on [[traditional medicine]], which offer some leeway for remedies used within cultural or indigenous contexts.
+== See also ==
+* [[HIV/AIDS in South Africa]]
+* [[Alternative medicine]]
+* [[AIDS denialism]]
+* [[Antiretroviral therapy]]
+* [[Manto Tshabalala-Msimang]]
+== External links ==
+* [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1633546/ Mbewu et al., "Traditional medicines and the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa," South African Medical Journal]
+* [https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/sub-saharan-africa/south-africa AVERT: HIV and AIDS in South Africa]
+{{HIV/AIDS}}
+{{Traditional medicine}}
+{{Alternative medicine}}
+[[Category:HIV/AIDS]]
+[[Category:Traditional medicine]]
+[[Category:Unproven methods against HIV/AIDS]]
+[[Category:Herbal and fungal drugs]]
+[[Category:South African inventions]]
+[[Category:Pseudoscience]]