African Countries defy WHO , Ship in Madagascar's COVID-19 herbal Drug to treat coronavirus patients.

Madagascar's Covid Organics (CVO) coronavirus cure being loaded on a plane to Chad

By Nangayi Guyson

Antananarivo, Madagascar (RTN)- Despite  warnings from WHO against using any product that has not been tested for its efficacy and safety to treat COVID-19,  several African countries have defied this and  are shipping in Madagascar's COVID-19 herbal Drug to treat coronavirus patients.

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina last month officially launched a herbal Drug known as Covid Organics (CVO) which is believed to cure coronavirus.

The Drug which was developed by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research and branded COVID Organics contains Artemisia, a plant cultivated on the Big Island to fight against malaria.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said there was  no evidence the drink works but Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina, last  week defended the unproven Covid-Organics drink telling France 24 in an interview CVO is a “preventive and curative remedy” and “works really well”.

For that case however, several African countries have opted for this drug and a good number of them has so far received their shipments from Madagascar at a free cost.

1. Nigeria

Nigeria with a huge number of COVID-19 Confirmed cases  5,959 with 182 deaths opted for Madagascar cure.

Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday (May 16) said the country had received a share of a purported coronavirus herbal cure, COVID-Organics but said the drug would be subjected to tests before a decision on administering would be made.

“My position regarding all herbal or traditional medicines is that any such formulations should be sent to the statutory regulators for thorough scientific verification. We will not put anything to use in Nigeria without the endorsement of our regulatory institutions.” Nigerian president said on tweeter.

The cure was delivered to Buhari by Guinea-Bissau president, Umaru Sissoco Embalo, who was in Abuja on official visit.

  2. Comoros

The Comoros, a volcanic archipelago off Africa’s east coast, in the warm Indian Ocean waters of the Mozambique Channel with only 11 COVID-19 cases and 1 death also received their shipment of COVID-Organics, the purported virus preventative and curative mixture.of COVID-Organics on May 13 and the Country's  president Azali Assoumani thanked the people of Madagascar and President Rajoelina for donation.

   3. Chad

On 10 May, Chad located in north-central Africa with 503 COVID-19 confirmed cases and 53 deaths also  sent a plane to collect Covid Organics donations from Madagascar. Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina on Saturday, May 9 in a tweet said "Thanks to President Idriss Deby Itno for your confidence,” 

Accompanying the text were photos of an official Chadian plane in Antananarivo to take delivery of the Covid-Organics medication that Madagascar insists cures the virus.

   4. Tanzania

The Tanzanian president who made news headlines  last  week after claiming that non-human samples had tested positive for the virus also opted for COVID-Organics from Madagascar and on 9th May, the country  also received their consignment.

Tanzania is an East African country which has also been affected by COVID-19 and has confirmed 509 cases with 21 deaths by press time,

   5. Gambia

The Gambia which has reported only 23 COVID-19 cases so far, with one death and 12 recoveries, after testing  as a little as 1,000 people, according to the country's health ministry has also  received a consignment of Madagascar's Covid-Organics (CVO).

The consignment was sent by Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina, according to the State House of the Gambia.

Other African countries that have been supplied include Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Congo, and DR Congo.

What exactly is Covid-Organics?

While Westerners and Europeans and Asians race to find vaccines for coronavirus, Madagascar, a southern African island in the Indian Ocean, claimed it had  found an alternative to fight the fast spreading coronavirus, beginning on experimental basis and with a rudimentary approach at home. With increasing number of coronavirus, Madagascar is steadily depending on its natural resources to help Africa. As a result of the island’s isolation, Madagascar is home to various unexploited plants found nowhere else on Earth. Many native plant species are used as herbal remedies for a variety of afflictions.

Covid-Organics is a herbal drink developed by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research (IMRA) for the prevention and cure of COVID-19, which has no specific treatment at the moment. Reportedly, the herbal tonic uses sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua), a plant of Asian origin that gave rise to the anti-malarial drug artemisinin, as its main ingredient. The IMRA has not reported any data on the drug’s efficacy against COVID-19 or side effects.

What experts say about Covid-Organics

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has  cautioned that the herbal drink should be ‘tested rigorously’. UN health agency, has said while isolated compounds extracted from artemisia are effective in malaria drugs, the plant itself cannot be used to treat malaria.

To make matters worse and doubtable about Covid-Organics curing COVID-19, Madagascar which has so far confirmed 304 cases  recorded its first coronavirus death, acordding to a local media reporting  on Sunday.