FG says Madagascar’s COVID-19 drug same as ‘sweet annie’ used for malaria treatment
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire (left) and his FCT counterpart, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello at the stakeholders’ meeting with healthcare<br />practitioners on the inaccessibility of health care facilities by Nigerians due to COVID-19 held in Abuja…yesterday PHOTO: LUCY ELUKPO-ATEKO, The Guardian.
*Research to ascertain efficacy ongoing
The Federal Government has said that preliminary results of the analysis of Madagascar’s herbal cure for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) revealed it as the same as Artemisia annua, also known as ‘sweet annie’, used in malaria treatment.
Artemisia annua is grown by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRID). Further research into its efficacy will be conducted when the grant is approved, the government added.
President Muhammadu Buhari had, on May 15, received the country’s allocation of the Madagascar anti-COVID-19 drink during which he promised to listen to scientists before allowing traditional or any new medicine to be administered on Nigerians to treat the pandemic.
At the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing yesterday in Abuja, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said the specie of the plant available in the country had a very high concentration of Artemisinin, with very high yield, adding that further research would focus on the efficacy of the plant for treatment of COVID-19.
Ehanire revealed that all government hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would become COVID-19 sample collection sites, so that walk-in cases could have samples taken for testing at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
President Muhammadu Buhari had, on May 15, received the country’s allocation of the Madagascar anti-COVID-19 drink during which he promised to listen to scientists before allowing traditional or any new medicine to be administered on Nigerians to treat the pandemic.
At the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing yesterday in Abuja, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said the specie of the plant available in the country had a very high concentration of Artemisinin, with very high yield, adding that further research would focus on the efficacy of the plant for treatment of COVID-19.
Ehanire revealed that all government hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would become COVID-19 sample collection sites, so that walk-in cases could have samples taken for testing at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Culled from t.guardian
