A man claiming to be treating measles with alkalised water known as Kangen Water refused to defend his alternative treatment, when he was approached by the Samoa Observer for comment. 

Throngs of families with sick children were waiting for treatment at Filisi (Fritz) Alai'asa’s Vaimauga home on Thursday, and assistants were helping shepherd cars around the driveway.

A security guard has also been recruited by Mr. Alai’asa and is stationed at the entrance into his property.

Asked if he would explain why he is offering unscientific or medically proven treatment for a potentially fatal disease, Mr. Alai’asa instead asked the Samoa Observer to leave his property.

He said a previous article referring to Kangen water and his practices was “wrong news.”

Director General of Health, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri, last week warned parents against seeking out anything but the recommended treatments for measles and cautioned that delays in seeking treatment can often have fatal consequences.

But Mr. Alai’asa would not speak on the matter, and told the Samoa Observer he intends to sue the newspaper.

Kangen Water is the brand of Enagic, an international company that started in Japan. It manufactures the water-ionisation system that connects to plumbing, and removes acidity from pure water.

Enagic claim alkalised water is healthier than regular water.

No one from Enagic was available to give an official comment, but Enagic USA said Kangen Water is not a medical device in the United States, though it is in Japan.

Enagic have come under fire for being a multi-level marketing scam, wherein people are encouraged to buy and on-sell the machines by encouraging more people to replace their drinking, washing and cooking water with Kangen. 

The health benefits of alkalised water for treating general ailments are not proven, and there is no scientific evidence that it can alleviate or even cure measles, a disease which has no cure except prevention by vaccination.

One proponent of alkaline water was jailed for five months and fined US$105 million for practicing medicine without a licence, a stint that saw him leaving a woman with stage four cancer and three years to live, instead of encouraging her to undergo chemotherapy.

Under the state of emergency declared by the Samoa government, it is mandatory to be vaccinated against measles, starting with children aged six months to 19 years and women 20-35 (except those who are pregnant). 

Vaccination is the only prevention against measles and with 95 per cent immunisation rates epidemics can be avoided.