The herbal drug which Madagascar says it uses to treat
COVID-19 patients has reached Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who received portions of the
drug from Guinea Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo on Saturday, said the
drug must be verified before use.
Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, quoted Buhari as saying
the drug will go through the verification process which other remedies for the
disease are being subjected to.
“We have our institutions, systems and processes in the
country. Any such formulations should be sent to them for verification. I will
not put it to use without the endorsement of our institutions,” Buhari said.
The drug, which is branded as herbal tea and named
COVID-Organics, was launched on April 20, with its main ingredient being sweet
wormwood (Artemisia annua), a plant of Asian origin from where the antimalarial
drug, artemisinin, came.
At least 55 COVID-19 patients in Madagascar have recovered
after being treated with the remedy.
During the launch, Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina
had said: “All trials and tests have been conducted and its effectiveness in
reducing the elimination of symptoms has been proven for the treatment of
patients with COVID-19 in Madagascar.”
But the herbal remedy has remained a subject of controversy.
Madagascar’s national medical academy had cast doubt on its efficacy while the
World Health Organisation (WHO) said it is still being studied.
Top Nigerian medical associations such as the Nigerian
Medical Association (NMA) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN)
rejected it, describing the country’s acceptance of the remedy as embarrassing.
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