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Front Page  World  Africa  Americas  Asia-Pacific  Europe  Middle East  South Asia  ------------- From Our Own Correspondent  ------------- Letter From America  UK  UK Politics  Business  Sci/Tech  Health  Education  Entertainment  Talking Point  In Depth  AudioVideo		Monday, 8 May, 2000, 10:59 GMT 11:59 UK Nigerian doctor finds HIV 'cure' Nigeria is on the verge of an Aids epidemic By Barnaby Phillips in Abuja Nigeria is in the grip of controversy over the unproven claims of a doctor who says he has found a cure for the HIV virus. It is not the kind of place you would expect to stumble across one of history's great scientific breakthroughs - but the Nigerian public are queuing up in droves outside Dr Jeremiah Abalaka's private clinic in a dusty township outside Abuja. He denies they are desperate people who have fallen for a con-trick. Rather, they are the lucky ones - amongst the first people in the world to discover that HIV can be cured. I will publicly take HIV-infected blood... and I'll inject myself publicly Dr Abalaka "They are coming because the drug is working, the drug is working," says Dr Abalaka. "The person who comes to me who is losing weight, who has recurrent fever, by the time he takes a shot or two, he discovers he's feeling better, he's putting on weight, he's sleeping, his fever has disappeared." Patient trust Dr Abalaka says he does not only have a cure for HIV - he even has a vaccine to prevent you contracting the virus. I've even sold my house, to come here and pay for the course, and to save my life. A patient of Dr Abalaka He says he has already cured 29 people - not enough to write a scientific paper on his findings, but with 800 patients now signed up, that will soon come. In the meantime, he is becoming a rich man - his medication costs hundreds of dollars. His patients will do anything to get the money - and they have faith in him "I believe, and I'm getting better," one told me. "I feel much better. I trust the doctor, he's doing the job." But the treatment comes at a price. "I've sold all my properties, everything I have, I've even sold my house, to come here and pay for the course, and to save my life." Soldiers 'cured' Dr Abalaka is the man of the moment in Nigeria. Newspaper editorials extol his virtues almost every day. HIV in Nigeria 2.6m people infected Set to rise to 4.9m by 2003 Infection rate exceeds 20% in some areas A senior general recently announced that 30 soldiers who had the HIV virus have been cured by him. Soldiers guard his clinic, and he says he is now supplying the military with more vaccines. Government officials are wary of criticising Doctor Abalaka in public. More than a year after this controversy started, a definitive statement on his alleged findings has not been made. Paul Okwulehie is an official of the government's aids control programme. "In order not to rush into rash, erroneous conclusions, government has to act slowly but steadily and surely and logically, in order for government to make a definitive pronouncement," he said. Wonder vaccine Dr Abalaka says it would be unreasonable and unpatriotic for him to reveal the scientific details of his cure right now - but he will do so when he has the Nigerian president's support. In the mean-time, he has laid down a dramatic challenge to his detractors. "I will publicly take HIV-infected blood - fresh blood - and I'll inject myself publicly. "If I fail to develop HIV, having done that, that is scientific proof that something is preventing me from catching it - the vaccine." In fact, Dr Abalaka says he has already injected himself with HIV-infected blood six times, but his vaccine has always protected him. Some other Nigerian doctors have started using his cure, and have reported encouraging results. A major international drugs company has become curious about his activities. In private, Nigerian Government officials are appalled by the confused and hesitant response to the Abalaka phenomenon. With more than 5% of Nigeria's huge population believed to be HIV positive, the country is on the verge of a terrible epidemic - answers are urgently needed.		Search BBC News Online Advanced search options BBC RADIO NEWS BBC ONE TV NEWS WORLD NEWS SUMMARY BBC NEWS 24 BULLETIN PROGRAMMES GUIDE Africa Contents Country profiles See also: 01 Dec 99 | Africa HIV warning for Nigeria 04 Oct 99 | Africa Africa on the Aids frontline 04 May 00 | Health Aids virus could fight disease 06 May 00 | Africa South Africa tackles Aids 23 Nov 99 | Health HIV hits 50 million 26 Nov 99 | A-B Aids drugs and the developing world 03 Nov 99 | Health HIV treatment rejuvenates immune system Internet links: Unicef World Aids Day World Health Organisation NigeriaWEB The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Links to other Africa stories are at the foot of the page.

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