Sixteen herbalists, including four Kenyans Masai, were arrested by the National Drug Authority (NDA) in Kampala for hawking fake drugs potentially dangerous for health.
The NDA has tested some of the drugs in laboratories and found that one of them contained a mix of pesticides used to spray tomatoes. Another ‘treatment’ supposed to cure 50 diseases (including syphilis and gonorrhea) contained a mix of water and soap. Even if some of the drugs were containing the right ingredients, these treatments are not authorized in the country and may put patients’ health at risk.
The number of herbalists is estimated at 42,000 and most of them are operating under the supervision of their associations.
Source: New Vision