Govt to secure Madagascar’s COVID-19 herbal cure to treat Ghanaian patients
Government had requested for the COVID-19 herbal remedy from Madagascar, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has said.
According to him, the product would undergo strict testing by appropriate authorities in the country when received to prove the efficacy of the medicine.
Speaking on national television on Tuesday in a programme dubbed “Ask The Info Ministry on Assessing Government’s Response to the Covid19 Pandemic,” Mr Nkrumah explained that the government was considering the Madagascar herbal cure.
Therefore it has reached out to them for the medicine to be made available to the country.
“Like all drugs, it will be tested by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Center for Scientific into Plant Medicine. When it is proven efficacious, we can recommend its use,” he added.
Government, however was lambasted after the Ministry of Information in a post misquoted Mr Nkrumah for saying the country had received the Madagascar COVID-19 herbal medicine and were testing its efficacy.
The Ministry subsequently clarified the post saying those were not the exact words of the minister but failed to apologise for the gaffe.
However, the Word Health Organisation (WHO) had already warned countries against its use.
Madagascar’s President, Andry Rajoelina, launched the herbal coronavirus “cure” few days ago to help treat those suffering from the ailment.
The medicine after its launch was greeted with divergent views about its efficacy.
The “COVID-19 Organic” is produced from the artemisia plant, the source of an ingredient used in malaria treatment and other Malagasy plants.
President Rajoelina has been actively promoting the plant-based tonic, COVID-Organics.
So far, countries including Congo, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau have received packs of the product.
The African Union (AU) had earlier disclosed that it is in discussion with the Republic of Madagascar to obtain technical data regarding the safety and efficiency of its announced herb for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
“Once furnished with the details, the Union, through the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), will review the scientific data gathered so far on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 Organics. This review will be based on global technical and ethical norms to garner the necessary scientific evidence regarding the performance of the tonic,” a statement from the AU said.
However, the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had also condemned the prejudice the Madagascar Coronavirus “cure” has suffered.
He bemoaned that anything from Africa is seen by the whites as inefficient and urged the Africans to rally behind Madagascar to secure full and final scientific acceptance of the medicine.
BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE
