Liberia: Does bitter kola cure Ebola

Assistant Health Minister for Preventive Services, Tolbert Nyenswah, has disputed media reports that the nut Garcinia Kola, called bitter kola locally, is a cure for Ebola. 

He said to date no vaccine or cure has been found for Ebola. 

A local daily reported Tuesday that the nut had stopped the Ebola virus in test tubes in initial laboratory experiments, experts, including a Nigerian pharmacologist, revealed. 

Assistant Minister Nyenswah made the bitter kola-Ebola cure clarification at the regular Thursday Ministry of Information press briefing held at the Ministry in Monrovia. 

Meanwhile, Minister Nyenswah is calling on the public to report anyone or group of people administering vaccines supposedly for the prevention of Ebola or any form of drug or tablets, herbs or injection in the communities to the nearest police station. 

He said the Health Ministry is also calling on people not to listen to any information from unknown individuals or groups, except that provided by the Ministry of Health and partners. 

According to Mr. Nyensuah, anyone caught administering fake vaccine or tablets and even spreading wrong information on the Ebola disease would face prosecution. 

In a related development, the Assistant Health Minister has disclosed that 11 persons have survived the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia. 

He also announced that four additional counties have been re-categorized as response counties, bringing the total number of counties affected by the Ebola virus in Liberia to seven. 

The counties are Montserrado, Margibi, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Bong, Lofa, and Nimba. 

Assistant Minister Nyenswah said as at July 16, 179 Ebola cases have been reported with 67 confirmed, while at least 105 deaths have been recorded with 48 confirmed Ebola deaths since the second wave of the Ebola virus outbreak in Liberia from May 29 to July 16, 2014.

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