By Jim Hagerty
Staff Writer
A former pastor with the Evangelical Lutheran Church announced Sunday, Dec. 19, that he has a cure for HIV/AIDS and has already healed more than two dozen people.
Ambilikile Masapila, who lives in Tanzania, East Africa, told a group of national officials last week that God revealed the cure to him in a dream.
A 75-year resident of the region, Masapila said his cure is a mixture of natural herbs and the roots of a special tree he discovered in 1991.
Although Masapila has no medical training, people in the village of Samunge call him a prophet and expert at natural disease treatment.
According to Masapila, God told him to use the special tree roots, which have not been identified, to make an AIDS cure in 2009.
The pastor said he’s healed 28 people so far, while about 175 others are currently receiving treatment.
“(Patients) who had tested HIV positive had been cured after using the herbal medicine,” Masapila said.
Thirty-year-old Willia John, who had been HIV positive since 2000, was receiving traditional anti-retroviral treatments for four years before turning to Masapila.
“I am confidently declaring that I am cured and there are no more HIV symptoms in me,” John said.
Meantime, medical officials have intervened, claiming many people who have sought Masapila's services have stopped taking anti-retroviral medication. Some have died.
“I encourage all patients currently receiving anti-retroviral treatment to continue to comply with their recommended treatment regiments, pending the efficacy of the new treatment being confirmed,” Ngorongoro District Commissioner, Elias Wawa Lali said.
Hundreds of Tanzania’s 1.5 million AIDS/HIV patients flock to Masapila's clinic every day.
Arusha Regional Medical Officer Dr. Salash Toure, said he plans to collect samples of the so-called cure for analysis.
“I will comment authoritatively on the issue after testing the herbal composition in a laboratory," Toure said.
Masapila said many of his patients receive the special AIDS treatment for free. He charges some patients up to 50 cents, citing that God warned him against selling the treatment for profit.
Comments
Holy Mary, mother of our Lord, may the news be true!
It is true, now the small village is flooded with people from all over the world.
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