Madagascar’s president announced that they have discovered that a drink made of a Chinese plant (Artemisia annua or in Chinese Niieji ) used for Malaria is an effective treatment of COVID-19, he announced this with pride and trust that the drug or drink called CVO will be the final cure of infamous COVID-19
“This herbal tea gives results in seven days,” President Andry Rajoelina said onn April 20 news conference, claiming it had cured two people. The event took place at the country’s Malagasy Institute of Applied Research, which developed the tonic branded as Covid-Organics, or CVO.
Read more about Artemisia annua its scientific experiments on Malaria by Indian Muslim scientists
In recent weeks, CVO – made with Artemisia annua, a plant whose artemisinin extract is used in antimalarial drugs – has been dispensed to Madagascar high school students and by soldiers going door to door, according to news reports.
Madagaskerdonated the drug to the Republic of Congo on Tuesday. Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea and Liberia have imported CVO. Tanzanian President John Magufuli has also expresed his will to import the drug
‘Made-in-Africa’ pride
Magufuli’s news generated many positive social media comments that invoked “a sort of patriotism,” Neville Meena, secretary of the Tanzania Editors Forum, said on VOA’s “Daybreak Africa” radio program.
“Now when the Madagascars claim that they have the medicine for coronavirus,” he said, “now, the debate is: ‘Why should [we] not just support this innovation from our own continent?’ ”
Dr. Erick Gbodossou, president of Senegal-based Prometra International, an organization committed to preserving African traditional medicine and science, praised Madagascar’s Rajoelina for having “the courage to test artemisia” and for trying to help his people via Covid-Organics.
“This courage is to be saluted,” he told VOA’s French to Africa service via Skype, “because we Africans must try to make humanity understand that Africa is not just dances and songs, that Africa can bring real, effective, serious solutions to the various health concerns of humanity.”
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization issued a statement voicing respect for traditional medicines while insisting on rigorous testing.
“Africans deserve to use medicines tested to the same standards as people in the rest of the world,” it said.
The African Union said in a news release that it was “in discussion” with Madagascar diplomats “to obtain technical data regarding the safety and efficiency of a herbal remedy.” It said its Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would review the data.
The herbal drink CVO was tested on fewer than 20 people for just three weeks before its release, a top aide to the president of Malagasy told the BBC.
Stanley Okolo, a physician and director general of the West Africa Health Organization, said the organization and the broader Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were committed to promoting traditional medicines – if they have passed rigorous, scientifically sound testing.
