Tanzania receives Madagascar’s Covid-19 remedy amid scrutiny
Tanzania has taken delivery of COVID-Organics, the herbal remedy Madagascar has touted as very effective in treating and preventing coronavirus.
The East African country received its consignment on Friday as part of a donation from Madagascar.
Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo also received their donations while Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau have also taken delivery.
Tanzania’s President John Magufuli said on TV days before this delivery that “I am communicating with Madagascar, and they have already written a letter saying they have discovered some medicine.”
“We will despatch a flight to bring the medicine so that Tanzanians can also benefit. So as the government we are working day and night,” he said.
Tanzania leo imepokea msaada wa dawa zinazofubaza Virusi vya Corona kutoka Serikali ya Madagascar. pic.twitter.com/zahPrjsyOy
— Msemaji Mkuu wa Serikali (@TZMsemajiMkuu) May 8, 2020
On Friday the Chief Spokesperson of the Government of Tanzania, Msemaji Mkuu wa Serikali said on Twitter that “Tanzania today has received support for Corona Antiretroviral Medicines.”
Madagascar drug under scrutiny
Madagascar also donated the herbal drug to ECOWAS countries through Guinea Bissau but ECOWAS commission on Thursday shied away from it.
In a statement in Abuja, the ECOWAS Commission said “We wish to disassociate ECOWAS and its health institution, West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO), from this claim and inform the general public that we have not ordered the said CVO medication.”
“We are aware that several claims of COVID-19 cure have been made in different parts of the world, but we can only support and endorse products that are effective through scientific study,” the statement added.
This statement came couple of days after the World Health Organization warned countries against consuming the herbal remedy due to lack of scientific evidence of efficacy.
But the African Union has said that it is in discussion with the Republic of Madagascar, over the herbal remedy.
The AU said it wanted to obtain “technical data regarding the safety and efficiency of a herbal remedy”.
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has reportedly approved for the use of Chloroquine to treat coronavirus patients. ECOWAS supports supplementary anti-viral treatment of coronavirus with hydroxychloroquine but said it should be for mild forms of the virus.
