Madagascar President launches 'herbal cure' for COVID-19
Follow UsStory highlights
The herbal remedy is mandatory for children returning to school. The drink is being distributed for free in some schools that are reopening and in poor neighbourhoods.
Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has launched a local herbal remedy -- which, he believes, can to cure patients suffering from COVID-19. He presented the remedy to the press on Monday.
President Rajaolina said the medicine had cured two COVID-19 cases.
The medicine is derived from artemisia -- a plant with proven efficacy in malaria treatment -- and other indigenous herbs. It has been developed by Congolese Doctor Dr Jerome Munyagi in partnership with the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research and branded COVID Organics.
The herbal remedy is mandatory for children returning to school. The drink is being distributed for free in some schools that are reopening and in poor neighbourhoods.
"All profits will be donated to IMRA to finance scientific research,” the president wrote on Twitter.
Madagascar, an Indian Ocean island nation of 26 million people, currently has 128 recorded cases of Covid-19 and no deaths.
Madagascar is also currently battling an outbreak of measles, which last year killed nearly 1,000 children.
As of now, there are no approved drugs for COVID-19 and numerous treatments and vaccines are currently being tested around the world.