THE Ministry of Health and Fiji Network Plus have warned against social media claims of a herbal cure for HIV, saying patients who stop proven treatment could become seriously ill.
The warning follows a video circulating online claiming a person had been cured of HIV through herbal medicine, with an assertion that the cure had been confirmed by a health worker.
The ministry’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV Unit said the claim was “not true” and urged people living with HIV not to stop their medication.
“There is no herbal cure for HIV,” the ministry said.
“HIV medicine works. Take it every day, even when you feel well.”
Fiji Network Plus executive director Joeli Colati, who is living with HIV, said there was “currently no scientifically proven herbal, traditional, dietary or spiritual cure for HIV”.
He warned that misinformation could have serious consequences.
“It can create false hope, cause confusion and, most importantly, lead people living with HIV to stop or interrupt treatment that is keeping them healthy,” Mr Colati said.
The ministry said antiretroviral therapy (ART) was available free at Government health facilities and remained the proven treatment for HIV.
Mr Colati said “ART works. ART saves lives.”
Both organisations stressed that an undetectable viral load does not mean HIV has been cured.
“‘Undetectable’ does not mean cured. Never stop or change your medicine without talking to your health worker,” the ministry said.
If ART is stopped, the virus can rebound, potentially causing illness, damaging the immune system and contributing to drug resistance.
Mr Colati urged anyone who had stopped treatment to “come back to care”, adding: “You deserve support, not judgement.”
The public was also urged not to shame or harass the person featured in the video.
