South Africa
Africa CDC to obtain data on Madagascar’s herbal COVID-19 'cure'─── 14:27 Wed, 06 May 2020
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Tuesday said it was obtaining technical data on the herbal remedy that Madagascar claims have cured its COVID-19 patients.
The African Union (AU) said it was talking to Madagascar’s embassy in Addis Ababa about the safety and efficacy of the substance known as Covid-Organics.
Madagascar said it was now producing the tonic from a plant called Artemisia for herbal prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
Following his announcement of the herbal tonic, Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina presented it to other heads of state on the continent at a teleconference of the AU chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Although it was not tested internationally, Covid-Organics was being produced in bulk by the Madagascar Institute of Applied Research and is being distributed door-to-door by the army in the capital Antananarivo.
Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea ordered and received the tonic, which according to Madagascar, cured COVID-19 patients within 10 days
The Africa CDC said once it's furnished with the details, it would study the scientific data gathered on the safety and efficacy of Covid-Organics.
The centre said its review would be based on global technical and ethical norms-based scientific evidence.
