The World Health Organization has approved rules for testing African herbal remedies for the COVID-19 disease caused by the Coronavirus.
The organization said that any traditional drugs that prove safe and effective in treating the disease can be quickly manufactured.
Added that the only criterion for the safety and effectiveness of conventional treatments is rigorous scientific testing.
For a while, the Madagascar’s president, André Rajoelina has been promoting an untested product that he says treats Covid-19, despite the WHO’s warning against using untested treatments.
The organisation added that the only criterion for the safety and effectiveness of conventional treatments is rigorous scientific testing.
This step comes as the number of people infected with the virus around the world exceeded 30 million, and the number of people who died as a result of infection 957 thousand.
About 140 potential vaccines against Covid-19 are undergoing tests around the world, dozens of which have already reached the stage of clinical testing in humans.
In Accelerating research In conjunction with these efforts, approval was issued to begin phase III clinical trials of traditional African treatments.
The rules were approved by a panel of experts set up by the WHO with the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the African Union Commission for Social Affairs.
During the third stage, the drug is tested how effective it is, and whether it is safe for a large number of people to use it.
“The adoption of technical documents will ensure that internationally accepted medical evidence for the effectiveness of herbal remedies in treating Covid-19 will be reached without compromising patient safety,” said the chairperson of the committee, University Professor Motlalibola Gilbert Matsapisa.
WHO Regional Director Prosper Tomosimi , that: “The spread of Covid-19, and as happened in the spread of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the need to strengthen the health system and accelerate research and development programs, including traditional treatments.”
And last April, the President of Madagascar, announced the launch of a drink called “Covid-Organics”, which he said would give its user protection from the disease and also treat it.
Rajoelina adheres to his preparation even though his country has recorded 15,925 cases of coronavirus and 216 deaths from infection.
This drink, was sent to dozens of African countries, contains plants from Madagascar, most notably the wormwood plant, has been proven effective in treating malaria. This drink is produced by the Institute of Applied Research in Madagascar.
Tomosimi said that through the WHO”s African Vaccine Regulatory Forum, there is a way to evaluate and approve clinical trials of drugs in the region in a period of less than 60 days.
