Dear Portfolio Committee on Social Development,
Referring to the minutes of your meeting of 18 August 2020, there is one statement that really stands out for me and speaks to the very heart of the problem as to why we are losing the war on drugs.
Mr Chairperson Gungubele you have hit the nail on the head by saying " The country needed evidence-based interventions that worked to prevent and treat substance abuse"

I love you for your insight.

However, I doubt government is serious in wanting to progress beyond paper solutions. In reference to below letter, I have been given nothing but the run around since 2014 till to date. I really feel we have missed out on a revolutionary treatment over these past six years but it's never too late to be open minded and venture into the unknown. We might be surprised at what we find.

May I ask that committee spearhead this exploration.

Thanks Regards
Ebrahim

From: Lutz Baehr
Sent: 15 October 2014 12:26 AM
To: Mbali Ntuli
Cc: heantos4southafrica@gmail.com
Subject: Letter to Dr. Simelela

Dr. Lutz Baehr Arlington, VA 14 October 2014
1600 N Oak St., Apt. 120
Arlington, VA 22209

U.S.A.


Dr. Nothemba Simelela

Advisor to the Vice-President of South-Africa

The Honorable Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa

Dear Dr. Simelela,

in the past last months, I have taken notice of the initiative of Mr. Ebrahim Jacobs to introduce the anti-drug medication HEANTOS for its public use in South Africa. I also understand that Professor Tran Van Sung, the former Director of the Institute of Chemistry of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, has supported this initiative and offered his cooperation to launch such introduction..



On my side, I am also prepared to support this initiative,.after having been engaged in the HEANTOS Project from its very beginning,as well as representing the United Nations in its official cooperation with the Vietnamese Government in this Project. This cooperation was designed to scientifically develop HEANTOS as a potentially more effective response to the global disease of drug-addiction. Prior to this cooperation, HEANTOS existed as a promising preparation and concoction of twelve plant-substances, based on the traditional medicinal knowledge of Vietnam in addressing drug-addiction.

In expressing my support to this initiative in South Africa, I am aware as a former civil servant, that it touches a certain political sensitivity, when a new medication is introduced by an individual person for application into the public health system: It may raise the impression of conflicting private and public interests. In view of this risk, I would like to offer firstly some explanations concerning the anti-drug medication HEANTOS, secondly concerning the involvement of Mr. Ebrahim Jacobs as a private individual.

On the outset it can be stated, that the development of HEANTOS can be perceived under many aspects as a "public good".

Such perception can be sustained by

* the origin of HEANTOS, i.e. as an anti-drug preparation, based on the traditional medicinal knowledge of Vietnam;

* by its scientific development, i.e. its transformation into a standardized product of consistent quality under the official cooperation between the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology and the United Nations over a period of more than six years.

In fact, the objective to use HEANTOS under the public health system of Vietnam, guided this cooperation. In following-up this approach, HEANTOS was subjected to an extensive regulatory process for its public use in Vietnam, resulting in its official certification and application in the public health system of Vietnam about two years ago. At the same time the HEANTOS Project pursued the observance of scientifically and technologically substantiated conditions for the production of the plant material, which can be secured in abundance in Vietnam, as well as for the manufacturing of HEANTOS in Vietnam in compliance with international standards, also in meeting the precondition toa export HEANTOS and to facilitate its application in other countries.

In the application of HEANTOS in Vietnam and for its international use, it became evident that HEANTOS needed to be opened to the private sector, which leads me to the second point.

In this regard Prof. Sung and myself considered thea involvement of Mr. Ebrahim Jacobs as a facilitator in initiating the application of HEANTOS in South-Africa. Hereby understanding that such formal initiation has to be taken by the Authorities in South-Africa, overseeing public health issues in this process. Respective actions by Mr. Jacobs in this regard, including his approaching of the Central Drug Authority of South-Africa, respectively of your Office of the Vice-President of South-Africa, demonstrated this understanding.

Notwithstanding the merits and extra-ordinary efforts of Mr. Jacobs in this process, it should also be noted, that he acted as a concerned citizen of your country, i.e. without claiming any commercial gains from his initiative. In this regard he reaffirmed his undivided role in this process,.basically proposing an expert-group meeting in South-Africa to explore the introduction of HEANTOS into the public health sector in South-Africa..

In the light of these considerations and at this juncture of the process, you may wish to favorably consider to take-up the initiative of Mr. Jacobs, to enlist a public health entity of your country, to prepare and implement the expert-group meeting, which is at the core of this initiative. I can reassure you, that such public involvement has always been the intention of Mr. Jacobs, Professor Sung and myself.

On a personal note, I am prepared to engage myself in such public health oriented approach. Hereby also considering that such initiative could serve as a modality to draw the attention of other African nations to the existence of HEANTOS and its eventual use in their respective public health sector.

Such suggestion would also meet the concern of the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, who in 1997 reminded that the support of the United Nations to the HEANTOS-Project implied the understanding to ensure the use of HEANTOS also in nations of the African continent, i.e. subject to the successful completion of the scientific development of HEANTOS. Such use would also require the availability of HEANTOS as a cost-effective anti-drug medication, as well as its applicability under the limited institutional settings in the majority of African countries.

All of these conditions could be met in completing the scientific development of HEANTOS, but would need to be also addressed in such expert-group meeting in South-Africa.

In offering my support in exploring the initiation of HEANTOS in South-Africa, I would like to add, that prior to my assignment to the United Nations, I had the privilege to serve as one of the Directors in the Executive Board of the African Development Bank ( AfDB ) during the period from 1983 to 1987. In this capacity I had learned that the African continent requires the attention of the international community particularly, respectively requiring preferential terms in addressing public health issues. Such terms should also be explored in such expert group meeting.

As suggested, and in consideration, that such expert-group meeting could serve other African countries as a model, you may also include to engage African regional organization in such expert group meeting, including the African Development Bank/African Development Fund, as well as international organizations like the United Nations, respectively its regional specialized agencies in Africa.

Such opening to other African countries would also allow the South African Government to take a lead in Africa in exploring a more effective and curative approach to address drug-addiction.

My support in this regard would also offer an opportunity for me, to meet the aforementioned concern of Mr. Kofi Annan, basically not to bypass the African continent, i.e. in applying this cost-effective anti-drug medication HEANTOS or at least in subjecting it to the test of such expert-group meeting.


Sincerely.

(Dr. Lutz Baehr