Dylan Bettencourt
Tanzanian health officials have prohibited the use of a traditional herbal treatment called Hemsha that was marketed to improve male sexual performance.
The decision to ban the treatment has followed investigations showing it was unsafe, explained Hamisi Malebo, chairman of the Traditional and Alternative Health Practice Council.
Malebo said laboratory tests showed it contained the drug sildenafil, commonly known as viagra.
He added that the treatment did not meet council regulations.
The herbal powder used in the treatment is made from a blend of leaves, roots and the bark of an mkongo tree.
The male sex enhancer is sold by different producers under a variety of brand names. Companies producing the commonly bought product have been asked to withdraw it from the market immediately.
Malebo said that the use of alternative forms of medication or treatments without “having the registration and certification of the council is an offence”.
All is not doom and gloom for male and females in Tanzania who made use of the product, however, as health officials encouraged the use of traditional forms of sex enhancers.
In 2020 the country approved the sale and use of five treatments in the market aimed at boosting sexual performance.
Image source: @MensPharmacy
