The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has disclosed
that the plant used in making the much-talked-about Madagascar’s herbal cure
for Coronavirus, Artemisia Annua, also grows in the country.
Recall that the Republic of Madagascar had offered its
herbal drug, OVID Organics, COV, for prevention and cure of Coronavirus to
Nigeria and other African countries.
Briefing newsmen during the daily briefing of the
Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, in Abuja, the minister said the drug would
be subjected to the indigenous research community to determine the efficacy of
the drug.
Mr Ehanire said: “We are going to get samples of the herb of
the botanical product for analyses and also probably use that opportunity to
speak with the health authorities there particularly the scientific community
on how they use it.
“We will also give it to the research community here with us
to examine and see what they can do with it.
“We understand that it is something called Artemisia Annua,
which also grows here. But we would like to get that sample and compare it with
the strain here to know if they are exactly identical or similar and then see
what properties it has.
“It will be subjected to analysis to find out what works in
there and how it works and is used in getting a cure.
“All countries around the world are interested in finding a
cure and we are not different; So we’ll look at all options and promises that
have been made.
“Before we give any of these medicines to our people we will
make sure they are actually safe and that they work.”
The minister also stated that it will continue to encourage
local producers of personal protective equipment (PPE), as it prefers local
ones to their foreign counterparts.
“Some Nigerian manufacturers of PPEs have made presentations
to us and shown us samples of what they can make.
“We have sent those samples to the Nigeria Centre for
Disease Control (NCDC) to look at it to see if they are well constructed and if
the materials used are good.
“Once we have the go-ahead, we definitely prefer local production of personal protective equipment to foreign, ones first because they are fast and quick, and also because they create jobs and stimulate the economy. We give preference so local manufacturers,” he said.
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