COVID-Organic has been hailed as a wonder cure for COVID-19
ADDIS ABABA, May 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The African Union is in discussion with the Republic of Madagascar, through its embassy in Addis Ababa, with a view to obtain technical data regarding the safety and efficiency of a herbal remedy, recently announced by Madagascar for the reported prevention and treatment of COVID19.
In this regard, the AU Commissioner for Social Affairs Amira ElFadil convened a meeting with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Madagascar Eric Randrianantoandro at which it was agreed that the member state would furnish the African Union with necessary details regarding the herbal remedy.
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.
These developments follow the participation of Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina in a teleconference Meeting of the Bureau of the Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government with the Chairpersons of the AU Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on April 29, in which he participated as Chairperson of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and where he made a presentation to his peers regarding the herbal remedy.
The teleconference was convened by President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa, and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), and had the aim of apprising the Chairpersons of the RECs about the actions and initiatives undertaken by the African Union in response to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the continent. The meeting also provided a platform for the Chairpersons of the RECs to brief the Bureau about regional measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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 Rajoelina in an earlier tweet.
He said 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.
Last month, Rajoelina officially launched the CVO, a herbal concoction claiming that it can prevent and cure patients suffering from the novel coronavirus. 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.
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. — NNN-AGENCIES
