MAXIMUM

RUARAKA GROUP

 

          The patients in this group comprise of paying individuals, for whom detailed medical files are maintained.  As of January 2014, there were around 550 patients.  All of them are adults.  However, compliance is intermittent due to lack of funds on the part of the patients.  The investigators rely on those patient funds to sustain the experiment.   Sadly, this paradigm has created a situation in which around one-third of the patients are lost to follow up.  When contacted by phone, these drop-outs say that they are clinically well, but can’t afford continued treatment.   Almost all of the patients who are consistent in the Ruaraka program report subjective health improvement, and lab tests reflect gains over time.

 

          In 2013 two patients turned HIV-negative.  One was a female patient who was called up last August 2013 who claimed she had been tested HIV-negative in three VCT centers. She refused to come back for retesting.  We tried to contact her again this January 2014 but she is now lost to follow up.  The other male patient (case 2C) comes monthly for his wife’s herbal supply monthly.  He refused future interviews.

 

           There are also  patients who send text messages to inform us that they have turned HIV-negative.  They normally go to VCT (voluntary counceling and testing) Centers to get screened but  There are patients who give testimonies in churches of their sero-reversion and refer other patients to the clinic.

 

(For more information on the patients see video)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN2T5R6DDHg

 

 

 

 

 

          Below is an assessment of a 41 year-old married delivery man of a liquor company, was initially diagnosed HIV-positive on January 28, 2012. The patient has no symptoms and just wanted to know his status.  The patient went to the clinic for confirmation of his HIV-positive status. Patient was retested monthly for three more months after November 3, 2012. He tested negative each time and stopped taking herbal.