Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) - December 17, 2004
An advertisement published in the Mail & Guardian has sparked an advertising storm. Vuyani Jacobs, who is living with Aids, has said in his complaint to the authority that the Rath Foundation's "advert is factually incorrect and dishonest".
The complaint says the advertisment deceives the public by creating doubts about the efficacy of the Aids drugs zidovudine and nevirapine: "The tone and style of the advert conveys the impression that multi-vitamins are a much more effective treatment of HIV/Aids than they actually are."
The Rath Foundation has run a series of advertisements that claim to treat cancer and cardiovascular disease with herbal products which boost the immune system. But Nathan Geffen, spokesperson for the TAC, says he finds the advertisement "dangerous and irresponsible".
"I had a call from someone who wanted me to convince a friend not to halt anti-retroviral treatment, after the friend had read the advertisement," he says. "This advertisement totally undermines the health industry."
Anthony Brink, Aids lawyer and spokesperson for the Rath Foundation, says one only has to read the bottle in the advertisement to realise that there is nothing misleading about the text. "Though I have not seen the complaint yet, I look forward to exposing the truth."
"We are watching the outcome of the complaint with great interest," says M&G editor Ferial Haffajee. "This newspaper has always supported the need for an effective anti-retroviral programme and will not in future carry any advertising which dilutes this message or creates confusion in the minds of readers."
According to the complainants this is not the first time that Rath's Foundation has come under fire. The British Advertising Standards Authority banned Dr Rath's ads, finding them unsupported by evidence.
The TAC says the man behind the foundation, Dr Matthias Rath, is also the proprietor of a pharmaceutical company selling synthesised vita-mins and amino acid supplements, although the advertisment is strongly critical of the pharmaceutical industry.
The TAC says the United States Food and Drug Administration warned Rath against advertising untested products online. The Swiss Study Group for Complementary and Alternative Methods in Cancer, and the Swiss Cancer League have also warned Swiss consumers against Rath's theories and products. Additional reporting: Nawaal Deane
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