By Boris Esono Nwenfor
As the search for a cure for the coronavirus intensifies across Cameroon, and the world, many African leaders are turning their attention to the production of traditional medicines against the virus.
In an exclusive interview with Pan African Visions' Cameroon reporter, Atemkeng Njualem, herbalist, healer, founder at Dr Amwell, Human rights activist, business and motivational speaker say it is time for everyone to go natural (using traditional medicines) concerning the solution for the coronavirus. Mr Atemkeng is already on the frontline with his coronavirus cure. He is following up with two COVID-19 cases.
Reporter: What is your understanding of the coronavirus?
Atemkeng: The coronavirus, by the way, is not new but this strain we have now of the virus is new. The coronavirus as we know it is a large family of viruses that have been there and can be transmitted from person to person. Generally, these are viruses that are transmitted from animals and infect people with illnesses. The range of illnesses can be, common cold, fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and others.
So this particular strain of the virus that was found in China and causing a lot of problems. Already in Cameroon, we have more than one thousand cases of the coronavirus and counting.
Reporter: What is your appraisal of the handling of the coronavirus by the Cameroon government?
Atemkeng: I think they have done a great job as awareness campaigns have been created, be it on mobile phones and grassroots campaigns that are ongoing. What is important about any campaign that is being made comes down to individual bases. It is a sense of telling us that personal hygiene is better. It still brakes down to personal awareness and personal consciousness. personal consciousness means the sense of you taking care of your health.
So the government is doing its part, and it is left for everyone to eat healthily and incorporate these campaigns into their lifestyle.
Reporter: You have posted a cure for the coronavirus on your Facebook page. How did that come about?
Atemkeng: Well I'll let you know very clearly that we like alternative medicine we do not treat cases like conventional doctors. We treat illnesses from symptoms. We do not treat it like there is a problem here let us solve it as conventional medicine does. We (I cannot talk for others) treat illnesses in the form of restoring health and vitality. Now, when I looked at the coronavirus, I see certain things like the common cold and fever. However, Let me make it clear, Africans did not know common cold until the Europeans started coming to Africa, in the form of colonization and so on. They brought us this illness. We did not have upper respiratory tract infections until the Europeans started coming to Africa.
We have had a very great response when it comes to treating cases like the common cold with natural medicines especial in cases including fever because all the body needs in the presence of chlorophyll that comes from a plant which they use to trap sunlight. So when an illness is coming, I am looking at the symptoms of it and what the body requires naturally to recover.
Reporter: Do you have a cure for COVID-19?
Atemkeng: Of course, that is no problem for me to handle because I know what to provide the body with for it to be able to recover. You must take note that nobody can cure any sick in fact, the body heals itself so therefore if you give the body the necessary help it needs it will be able to recover itself from any illness. I have a remedy for it already in the market. I have received 2 cases confirmed in Bamenda and Douala for COVID-19 and I have sent remedies. That is going to be the first 2 cases I am handling and a very confident of the results we get.
Reporter: Let us talk about other persons looking for a solution to the virus in Cameroon. You have openly challenged Bishop Samuel Kleda to see whose treatment is better. Why so?
Atemkeng: Why not? In every honest society, people should compete. People should put their facts together and bring. If he (Bishop Kleda) has a remedy and he is sure it can work why does he bring it. I am sure of my remedy, and I am sure of my remedy and I am very open with it.
Reporter: But how many people have been cured with your remedy?
Atemkeng: We are just looking at the situation where the illness is just coming. In the whole country, we have about one thousand cases, it means the situation not yet like in other countries. However, people will want anything as a solution if the situation gets rampant. So asking me how many have you cured is a question that will answer itself however no one cures illness the body cures itself if you provide it when the support it needs. If there is a crisis in the country for Covid-19 people will want anything, from whoever is offering. Therefore, the managing of the problem will tell us how many I will cure.
Reporter: So what is the importance of traditional medicine in the fight against the coronavirus?
Atemkeng: Of course that is the only cure we have. That is the only solution we have. Nature will never deceive us. That is why I say let us test, compare whoever puts anything of nature to see if it gives us the result or not. I am in the field all the time and naturopaths come to buy my medicines to treat patients. Many make any kind of concoction all in the name of being naturopaths.
Reporter: You have hit out against scammers and hijackers who pose for herbalists. Why so?
Atemkeng: I have herbalists or naturopaths who buy remedies from me and sell. They are not naturopaths but have offices of naturopaths. They have units that they sell medicines in the name of naturopathic doctors. They buy, create, add or put other things in the mixture and sell. There are also who combine anything they want (their mother or father told them that) and sell in the name of naturopathic medicine.
Some people think they can just go and bring plants from anywhere, mix it into any concoction and it will treat any illness. It is a serious problem out there and it is a problem.
If anybody puts his treatment and wants to tackle any treatment I am willing to face him in any competition. Let us see the patients and how they handle it and how effective they handle it. That is being professional.
Somebody who is a Reverend father who prays Monday to Saturday just come up and say he can treat the coronavirus, is that not doubtful? So if somebody today who is a Reverend father today, tomorrow he is talking politics, and he comes to tell me that he has a treatment ill doubt him. The naturopathic is not for money. Anybody who comes into the field to make money is not a naturopathic but just scammer and a hijacker. Somebody like me I want to fight them because I can challenge them with my remedies. If they have what they have I can put a solution down and they cannot challenge it. People who test my product or find out about my product know that it is something unique. This is what is required and what they want and they see the results and that is why they keep coming back. Good things do not hide.
Reporter: Any last word?
Atemkeng: Going natural is very important. So everyone needs to get some sense of reasoning and start going natural. It is the only solution we have because if they (West) bring us their illness and solutions, it is finished for us.