The Sunday Mail
IF the zeal and determination that is being shown by local herbalists and traditional healers in the fight against cancer is anything to go by, then the war against one of the most feared non-communicable diseases is likely going to be won.
Over the years, there has been a marked increase in the number of local herbalists and traditional healers who are putting more in terms of both time and resources as they search for cancer treatments.
The traditional healers’ efforts seem to be paying off as evidenced by the number of cancer patients who claim to have found relief in herbal remedies.
The most commonly diagnosed cancers among Zimbabweans are Kaposi’s sarcoma, cervical, breast and prostate cancer.
With more co-operation and less competition in cancer research, local herbalists are closely working with researchers from multiple disciplines within and outside of traditional medicine.
They are also working with academia and industry.
Although major inroads have been made, the herbalists still face barriers to progress in the fight against cancer.
Among the barriers are a lack of data standards in treating the disease and lack of data sharing in research and development.
Patients are also reluctant to participate in trials and the high cost related to the trials.
Despite these barriers, there has been a notable increase in the number of Zimbabweans seeking herbal remedies.
Among some of the herbalists that are attracting thousands of people to their surgeries due to the belief that they can cure cancer is Sekuru Tichaona Maveredze.
His herbs are registered with the Zimbabwe Traditional and Medical Practitioners’ Council.
Huge crowds seek the services of the Masvingo-based herbalist.
Sekuru Maveredze said he is a trained herbalist who is capable of treating various cancers.
Harare-based Sekuru Kamwelo Banda has, in recent months, been causing a stir as multitudes of people, among them cancer patients, are seeking his services.
In a radio interview, a cancer victim, Mbuya Murinye (Ketsia Makonese), claimed she was cured of cervical cancer.
“I was producing a smelly discharge and after medical consultations, I was advised that I had cervical cancer and that the disease was at an incurable stage. I then opted for traditional medicine and I am happy to say that the smelly discharge has stopped,” Mbuya Makonese said.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and accounted for 8,8 million deaths in 2016.
According to a paper written by Dr Webster Kadzatsa and Mr Eric Chikunonga titled “The Status and Challenges of Cancer Care in Zimbabwe”, the most commonly diagnosed cancers among all Zimbabweans were cervical cancer (18 percent), Kaposi’s sarcoma (10 percent), breast cancer (7 percent) and prostate cancer (7 percent).
The other cancers are Non-Hodgkins lymphoma (6 percent), non-melanoma skin cancer (6 percent), esophageal cancer (4 percent), colorectal cancer (4 percent), and squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva (3 percent).
Dr Kadzatsa is a radiation oncologist and a lecturer at the College of Health Sciences at the University of Zimbabwe whilst Mr Chokunonga is the Registrar of the Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry.
Sekuru Banda said it has been known throughout history that African traditional herbs are capable of curing cancer.
“There is need to demystify cancer. This disease is not a death sentence as is widely believed. If the disease is detected early, it can be easily cured by herbs,” Sekuru Banda said.
He blamed some traditional healers for misinforming some of their clients.
“We hear about traditional healers who tell their clients that they have been bewitched when in actual fact that person will be having cancerous tumours. Like I said, cancer, when detected early, can be cured,” Sekuru Banda said.
People who had developed growths on their necks, noses and face constitute a large number of the herbalist’s clientele.
Recently, Sekuru Banda travelled to India where he exchanged notes with a number of researchers on ways to combat the disease.
“I was humbled by the fact that people from across the world actually admit that traditional African medicine is capable of curing cancer. We exchanged notes on how to package traditional medicine so that it can be appealing to use. I am challenging local herbalists and traditional healers to learn more about the disease,” he said.
Sekuru Banda vowed to continue with his researches until most non-communicable diseases are wiped out.
“There is need for continuous research. It took me many years to come up with these remedies. I also did a lot of experimenting and after we are done with cancer, we will focus on eliminating HIV,” he added.
Sekuru Friday Chisanyu, another prominent traditional healer and the Zimbabwe National Practitioners’ Association president, spoke about how traditional medicine is administered to cancer patients.
“First and foremost, I would say early detection of the disease is key. People should not wait until it is too late. Depending on the type of cancer, the treatment varies. For instance, if one has lung cancer, than person can smoke in the burning medicine,” Sekuru Chisanyu explained.
According to Sekuru Chisanyu, the medicine can be applied on tumours whilst some of it can be ingested. Those with skin cancers can put the medicine in their bathing water.
Practitioners may use different parts of plants such as the leaves, roots, stems, flowers or seeds.
The herbs are often combined and can be taken as teas, capsules or powders. Sekuru Chisanyu said people should maintain a healthy lifestyle so as to minimise the risk of developing cancer.
“Prevention is better than cure. We must eat more traditional foods and wild fruits. Regular exercise also lowers the risk. If you look at it closely, those people that reside in rural areas where they maintain traditional diets are at a lower risk than urban dwellers,” Sekuru Chisanyu said.
Across the globe, herbal medicine is one of the most commonly used complementary and alternative therapies by people with cancer.
According to online sources, studies have shown that as many as six out of every 10 people with cancer (60 percent) use herbal remedies alongside conventional cancer treatments.
Cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. Other terms used are malignant tumours and neoplasms.
One defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries, and which can then invade adjoining parts of the body and spread to other organs.
The latter process is referred to as metastasising. Metastases are a major cause of death from cancer.
Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancers are the most common in men; while breast, colorectal, lung, cervix and stomach cancers are the most common among women.
