African countries are scrambling for COVID-Organics, a herbal concoction Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina claims to be the cure for COVID-19.
As COVID-19 continues to spread across Africa and leaders, continue to put their countries in lockdown, Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina last month, April 21, 2020, launched a herbal remedy which he claimed could prevent and cure the COVID-19 virus.
The announcement of the remedy launch has caught the attention of medical experts struggling to find a cure for the disease, which has killed almost 300 thousand and infected over 4 million people globally.
This herbal remedy gives results in seven days Rajoelina told journalists in a news conference April 20, according to several media reports.
The remedy mainly comes from artemisia, a family of herbs believed to have healing qualities for malaria, diabetes, and asthma, among other ailments, according to a study on Sagepub.com.
Combined with other secret indigenous herbs, Rajoelina claims the cocktail developed at the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research(IMRA), has already cured two people and eased symptoms in others according to an international ABC News report.
“If Madagascar’s Coronavirus remedy is responding positively on patients, then it should be declared a breakthrough and be used as a curative and preventive treatment for Africans.” -Charity Nyoro, a Kiambu resident, in Central Kenya.
Experts, including the World Health Organization (WHO) are skeptical.
Associated Press fact-checker has rated Rajoelina’s claims as “false” because there is no scientific evidence it shows it’s effectiveness. In discounting the “cure,” AP cited the reports that Madagascar’s medical academy has expressed concern about the drink.
“The scientific evidence that this is effective has not been proved. It’s likely that it could actually harm the health of the population, particularly that of children,” Marcel Razanamparany, president of Madagascar’s Academy of Medicine, said in a statement, according to the AP report.
Rajoelina defended the remedy branded COVID-Organics or CVO, saying the West only rejected it because it came from Africa.
“What if this remedy had been discovered by a European country instead of Madagascar, would people doubt it so much doubt? I don’t think so.”– Andry Rajoelina-Madagascar president.
“What if this remedy had been discovered by a European country instead of Madagascar, would people doubt it so much doubt? I don’t think so,” Rajoelina told France 24 in a video posted on YouTube May 12.
Despite the skepticism about the efficacy of the remedy and its potential side-effects, the treatment is a source of pride in Africa.
Dr. Erick Gbodossou, president of Prometra International, an organization committed to preserving African traditional medicine and science, praised Rajoelina.
“This courage is to be saluted,” Gbodossou said in an interview with Voice of America. “Africans must try to make humanity understand that Africa is not just dances and songs, that Africa can bring real, effective, serious solutions to the various health concerns of humanity.”
Some have also expressed support for the ‘herbal tea” on social media. A discussion under Rwanda-based news organization Twitter handle The Chronicles, showed mostly sympathetic reviews toward the tonic.
“Can we Africans first accept it ourselves and buy it, then others, if they like, will join us later?” Twitter handle Mwemeza Data Kalisa asked.
“Very sad truth, he is 100% correct,” Twitter handle Richi responded. “Africans are the enemy of Africa.”
Some Kenyans have expressed an open-mind toward the tonic.
“If Madagascar’s Coronavirus remedy is responding positively on patients, then it should be declared a breakthrough and be used as a curative and preventive treatment for Africans” Charity Nyoro, a Kiambu resident, in Central Kenya said.
Another Kenyan said he would take the cocktail if proven to be a safe treatment.
“I support the use of African herbal in the use against Coronavirus so long as it cures and doesn’t harm Kenyan’s and am ready to use it,” Joy Nzula, a Machakos resident, in Eastern Kenya said.
During the launch of CVO, April 21, Rajoelina said clinical trials are underway to produce a form that can be injected in the body because, as per now, it’s administered in bottles as herbal tea.
Rajoelina demonstrated his faith in the cure by drinking the remedy, which he said has already cured two people.
“This herbal tea gives results in seven days,” Rajoelina, a former successful entrepreneur without a medical degree, said according to a BBC report. He also urged people to use it as a preventative measure.
Reports indicate that Madagascar has less than 300 confirmed Coronavirus cases with no deaths so far.
Rajoelina advised that the remedy should be given to schoolchildren to restore normalcy in the education sector in Madagascar.
Madagascan students grimaced while drinking the bitter cocktail, a requirement before going back to school, WION News reported. The silver lining for the students, for now, is they don’t have to share desks because of the government effort to promote social-distancing.
Despite the World Health Organization’s (WHO) warning on the remedy, Madagascar told the Reuters news agency that it would start selling the remedy drink, and there are many eager buyers out there.
Tanzania announced that they had received the first shipment of Madagascar’s plant-based cure of Coronavirus through the government spokesman Hassan Abas on Twitter.
Along with Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Guinea Bissau have already received thousands of doses of COVID Organics free of charge.
The Africa Union [AU] said on Monday that it would try to get Madagascar’s technical data on the remedy and would pass it to the Africa Centre of Disease Control.
Dr. Charles Andianjara IMRAs director-general recommended that COVID Organics, also known as CVO, should be used as treatment and for prevention.
Andianjara was, however, more cautious about its use as a cure. Still, he said that clinical observation had shown a trend towards its effectiveness as a curative remedy.”
Data from John Hopkins University and Africa CDC show COVID-19 has spread to all but one country in Africa. The Kingdom of Lesotho is the only hold-out.
There are more than 60,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa. South Africa has the most cases at 10,652.
As of May 12, COVID-19 has killed 2344 people across the continent.