The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, on Monday, revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari has santioned Madagasscar’s Covid-Organics, the country’s self-proclaimed, plant-based “remedy” for coronavirus.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, broke the news at the daily briefing of the PTF which he heads.
Mr Mustapha revealed that Madagascar donated some of the products to Nigeria through Guinea-Bissau and arrangements were being made to pick them up.
Mr Mustapha, however, added that the president directed that the products be subjected to validation process after they have been picked up.
Similarly, Health Minister, Osagie Ehanire, confirmed that the country is considering the much-fancied remedy.
“Concerning the question on the cure from Madagascar, this has been making the news and we have the promise of being able to get a sample of the herb/botanical product for analysis and also probably use that opportunity to speak with the health authorities particularly the scientific community on how they use it,” he said.
“We will also give that to the research community with us here (in Nigeria) to examine and do what they can do with it.
“We will like to compare the sample with the strain here in our country whether they are identical or similar and see what properties it has. Things like that are normally subjected to analysis to find out how it works,” Ehanire said.
The Minister stressed that all countries are interested in finding a cure to the deadly COVID-19 and Nigeria is also looking at all options.
He added that before the Madagascar cure can be used in Nigeria, it will be examined, “to make sure they are safe and they work.”
The Covid-Organics is a herbal concoction prepared by researchers from the Madagascan Institute for Applied Research (IMRA), which has reportedly cured over 100 patients without any casualty, according to officials in the Island country.
“Covid-Organics will be used in prophylaxis, that is to say in preventive, but clinical observations have shown a tendency to its curative effectiveness,” said Dr. Charles Andrianjara, director general of IMRA.
Madagascan president Andry Rajoelina drank the liquid in front of cameras during a public presentation in the country’s capital Antananarivo a few weeks ago.
Although the World Heath Organization, African Union and Economic Community of West African States have all distanced theirselves from the vaccine, African nations are growing increasingly interested.
The likes of Equatorial Guinea, Comoros, Senegal and Niger have all imported the medicine.
