This is the story of an elderly herbalist, who has become like a Messiah to a lot of celebrities within and outside Ghana. He is 74 year old Hakimu Yunus, who hit headlines few months back after he came out to declare that he has found a cure to HIV/AIDS. Since his declaration of having the antidote to the dreaded disease, he has been playing host to a lot of celebrities, who throng his Tamale base in the northern part of Ghana for several reasons. Some of them have been going to the old herbalist to get cure for the dreaded disease, while most of them have been going there for local drugs that will prevent them from contracting the disease. It was learnt that the local concoctions prepared by the herbalist have been found to be potent. He is also said to have some “products” which will make people, especially men not to contract HIV even if they have sex without protection. A lot of Big Boys are rushing for these products, which are prepared through different means.

There is one prepared into a local ring, which the user only to put on his finger. However, the product does not come cheap. Checks revealed that the cheapest the herbalist charge for a single preparation is around 1000ghc (about N105, 000) an the price may go up depending on how long the potency of the drug will last. Hakimu Yunus, became popular about 5 months ago when he came out openly to say he discovered the cure to the disease while he was treating a malaria patient.

He said a woman was brought to his small home herbal care center for malaria treatment and when he took a close look at the woman, he suspected she had HIV. He said he advised members of her family to take her to a hospital to have her tested for HIV and she was confirmed positive. Yunus said after this discovery he changed his treating method, he said he mixed a total of 99 local roots and herbs and made the woman take it daily for 3 weeks. Yunus said after 3 weeks of treatment, the woman gained weight and was looking much healthier than when she was brought to him, he said based on her response he along with the woman’s family members went to the hospitals to have her tested again, and a week later they received the results and the woman tested negative. When the herbalist had this first succesful treatment,he said he only charged her one goat for his service, and the 74 year old said he wass not seeking to enrich himself. However, he has been forced to charge high fees because of the massive demand he has been getting.