DID YOU KNOW THAT ? The Power Of Mangagaw (Tawa Tawa) Plants To Help Cure Dengue

Dengue fever is a disease cause by dengue virus. The virus is usually transmitted by the mosquito known as Aedes mosquito. Symptoms are fever skin rashes muscle and joint pains. If an attended it may progress as dengue hemorrhagic fever (which may lead to severe hemorrhage) and dengue shock syndrome (where a very low blood pressure can cause organ dysfunction).

The treatment is either oral or intravenous rehydration for mild or moderate disease, and intravenous fluids and blood transfusions for more severe cases. The increasein dengue cases is very alarming in fact government has an information campaign to prevent the spread of this disease.

In provinces or mountatin barangays people use some alternative medicine to combat this disease one of these is using the tawa tawa plants that said to help curehemorrhagic fever. Although it is still not accepted by medical practitioner the spread of this information is unstoppable due to the fact that synthetic medicine and hospitalization is very expensive.

DOH Sec says DOST studying healing properties of 'Tawa-Tawa' herb

by Andrea Renevera-Bancud

QUEZON CITY, August 27 (PIA) -- Department of Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona said that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is still in the process of studying the herbal plant Tawa-Tawa as a potential cure against dengue.

In yesterday’s Communication and News Exchange Forum (CNEX) of Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Sec.Ona said, “Mukhang ma-I-isolate na ang active ingredient sa tawa-tawa (It seems like the active ingredient in tawa-tawa will soon be isolated).”

He admitted that the said herbal plant Tawa-Tawa or Euphorbia Hirta may have some medicinal potential against dengue.

The scientific method of forming a medicine according to Ona, is finding the active component in the plant, isolating it and from there, a more concentrated form of medicine can be made.

According to anecdotal reports, drinking boiled water with tawa-tawa leaves can cure dengue patients. Sec. Ona, however, cautioned the public against self-medication, especially to cure dengue fever.

On reports that there is already a tablet form of tawa-tawa in the market, Ona said he would like to see it for himself, if there is such.

Meanwhile, new reports from Zambia and Uganda says the chemical, Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) is once again becoming effective against certain types of mosquitoes. This prompted some to think that DDT can be used against Dengue-carrying mosquitoes. But Secretary Ona said it is not advisable to use DDT because it has toxic effects on human and it oftentimes causes resistance to mosquitoes.