MADAGASCAR OFFERS COVID-19 HERBAL CURE TO GHANA
The Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS),
Dr Badu Sarkodie, has revealed that the government of Madagascar has offered
its COVID-19 herbal cure, COVID-Organics, to the government of Ghana for use in
treating the pandemic, which has, so far, killed 18 out of the 3,091 people
infected so far.
Speaking at a press briefing
in Accra on Thursday, 7 May 2020 on the COVID-19 situation in Ghana, Dr Sarkodie: “I believe that a quantity might
be made available to the country and we will ensure collaboration with FDA”.
“They [Madagascar] have to do
some assessment and then we take it from there”, he told journalists.
“So, I will not be able to
say whether it will be used or not, but I think they have made an offer and we
can take a look at it,” he added.
Meanwhile, in addition to the
COVID-Organics (CVO) already marketed in the form of herbal tea, a new
injectable solution of the same product is under clinical trials in Madagascar,
according to the country’s president.
Andry Rajoelina said on Monday
his government was already collaborating with foreign doctors and researchers
on the matter, looking at alternative research possibilities but still on the
trail of the Artemisia plant – the main component of CVO.
“A pharmaceutical
factory will be set up within a month to increase the production capacity of
COVID Organics. It will be administered in other forms such as
injections,” Rajoelina said on Twitter.
Last month, Rajoelina
officially launched the CVO, a herbal concoction claiming that it can prevent
and cure patients suffering from the novel corona virus. The drug was developed
by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research.
But, the World Health
Organization (WHO) has warned against any self-medication and said that it has
not recommended any medicine as a cure for the COVID-19.
Known under the scientific
name of Artemesia Annua, the plant of Chinese origin was first imported to
Madagascar in the 1970s to treat malaria.
According to Rajoelina,
Madagascar produces 3,000 tons of Artemisia every year.
No exports
“From now on, we will no
longer export Artemisia. But, we will proceed with the transformation of this
plant on our own territory,” he said.
The new form of CVO will
easily reach other countries in Europe and on other continents, according to
Rajoelina.
Meanwhile, CVO in the form of
herbal tea continues to be distributed in Madagascar.
“I encourage Malagasy
farmers to cultivate Artemisia in order to increase our production capacity
amounting to 3,000 tons per year. The value in tonnes of Artemisia is $3,000 vs
$350 for rice,” Rajoelina said.
Madagascar has donated CVO,
which is claimed to cure the COVID-19 to several African countries.
The country has confirmed 149
COVID-19 cases so far, with no deaths and 99 recoveries, according to figures
compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.
Rajoelina has also extended a
state of emergency in the country put in place against the virus.
