Breaking the barrier of any conventional medical treatments, the health minister of Iran, Kamran Bageri Lankarani announced that scientists within the country have created a medication composed of herbs that is believed to boost the immunity of the human body when it comes to building a defense against the virus associated with HIV and AIDS. In this article, we will explore the facts concerning what many hope is a promising medical find.
During an official news correspondence, Lankarani mentioned that the herbal-based drug (which has been given the name IMOD), can be used to control the AIDS virus, as well as increase the body’s immunity. The medication will not be advertised as a way to kill the virus, but will be promoted as an alternative to other anti-retroviral drugs.
IMOD took five years of research before it reached the level of being called a legitimate approach towards AIDS treatment. Since a final sample was created, 200 patients were given the drug, which has been regarded as a one of many generations of AIDS drug experimentation. It is the belief that this herbal concoction can help control the HIV/AIDS virus.
A director of the drug project, Mohammad Farhadi, stated in a television interview that the herbal remedy would be able to treat patients with AIDS, as well as those who carry the virus, but show no signs or symptoms. To prove whether or not the herbal medication will be effective in the future, scientists have been given the green light to test the drug on about 3,000 to 5,000 patients residing in Iran.
Compared to the rest of the world, the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Iran is rather minimal. About 14,000 AIDS cases are noted throughout the country. The disease is recorded as taking the lives of 1,700 people in Iran. Iranian officials started to focus on the number of HIV/AIDS cases because it seemed that the spread of the infection was running rampant throughout the country. An increase in intravenous drug use is blamed for this recent surge.
To illustrate the importance of new treatment approaches for the infection, the deputy health minister of Iran stated that the spread of the disease must be stopped. Predictions regarding the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Iran for the New Year are estimated at reaching 100,000 within the next Iranian year (which will be observed on March 2008).
As for the details regarding the number of drug users on a regular basis, the country believes there are at least 2 million to date. Other estimations claim there are as many as 3.5 million. Sadly, it is said that the rate of addition is increasing at alarming speed (about 8 % per year). It is through this practice that country officials believe is becoming a greater than ever concern and cause for the spread of the HIV/AIDS infection. More than 60% of HIV/AIDS cases are attributed to drug use with the help of needles.