The role of Herbal Medicine use in HIV/AIDS treatment

Abstract

Herbal medicine use is becoming very popular in many countries especially in the western world, where public health safety has become a concern, especially its concomitant use with orthodox medicine. The devastating impact of HIV/AIDS pandemic coupled with the severe shortage of health personnel has compelled patients to develop coping mechanisms by adopting alternative sources of primary health care, one of which has been the use of herbal therapies. An integration of herbal medicine into the current medical curriculum will enable future physicians to communicate better with their patients on this evolving healthcare system. This review briefly examines the role of herbal medicine in HIV/AIDS treatment and management. It is hoped that this review will provide important and relevant information that will help policy makers to put in place control measures against the abuse of herbal therapy