The ECOWAS Commission has dismissed reports that its health
institution, West Africa Health Organisation had ordered medicine
developed by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research, Madagascar, for
COVID-19 treatment.
ECOWAS Denies Endorsing Any Herbal Drug For COVID-19
The regional body said it was aware that several claims of COVID-19
cures had been made in different parts of the world but added that it
could endorse products that have been shown to be effective through
scientific study.
Madagascar had touted organics as a cure for the coronavirus disease
with President Andry Rajolina celebrating the herbal medicine which
contains artemisa at an African Union gathering.
But the ECOWAS Commission in a statement in Abuja on Thursday said WAHO
is collaborating with relevant partners including the World Health
Organisation, Africa Centres for Disease Control as well as national,
regional, and international research consortia to promote the scientific
search for a cure.
ECOWAS said WAHO remained committed to promoting rational traditional medicine practices and products in the region.
It said the institution has over the years worked consistently with the
Member States to scientifically investigate plant medicines of proven
efficacy.
The commission added that such products were documented in ECOWAS
Pharmacopoeia of Traditional Medicines, the second edition of which
would be published in the next few weeks.
The statement read in part,
“We wish to dissociate ECOWAS and its
health institution, West Africa Health Organization from this claim and
to inform the general public that we have not ordered the said CVO
medication.“We are working with member states on some of the medications available
for clinical trials and for use on a compassionate basis in selected
severe cases.“Some of the traditional medicine centres of excellence in the ECOWAS
region are also currently investigating products of potential efficacy.”
