SAN FRANCISCO, May 11, (THEWILL) – Nigeria says it has ordered Madagascar’s COVID-19 Organic, the touted herbal syrup that cures COVID-19.
The product will however be taken to the lab so that researchers can take a look at it and determine whether it works and also look to producing it in the country.
Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Director of the Presidential task Force of COVID-19, announced the development during Monday’s daily briefing of the team in Abuja.
“With respect to the Madagascar syrup, it has been freighted to Guinea-Bissau by the President of Madagascar. Certain allocations have been made to different countries. We have an indication of the quantity that has been allocated to Nigeria and we are supposed to make arrangements to freight it out of Guinea-Bissau to Nigeria.
“I have received instructions from Mr. President to make arrangements to freight it home with a clear instruction that I should subject it to the validation process similar to what would happen to any other medicine or syrup or vaccine that is discovered or created internally.
“So, it will be subjected to the same process before it is put into any form of use. There will be no exception,” he said.
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Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, also spoke on the development:
“We have a promise of being able to get samples of the herb or botanical product for analysis and also probably use that opportunity to speak with the health authorities there, particularly the scientific community on how they use it.
“But obviously, to also give back to the research community here with us to examine and see what they can do with it. We understand that it is something called ‘Artemisia Annua’ which also grows here. But we will like to, if we get that sample, compare it with the strain here whether they are exactly identical or whether they are two different strains and see what properties it has and subjected to further analysis to find out what works there, how it works and the use in getting a cure.
“Obviously, all countries in the world are interested in finding a cure and we are not different. So, we are looking at all possibilities, all options, all promises that are made, we examine them, and before we give them to our people, we make sure that they are actually safe and that they work.”
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