The Federal Government on Saturday took delivery of the country’s allocation of the Madagascar COVID-19 drink.According to a presidential spokesman, Mr Bashir Ahmed, President Muhammadu Buhari has received the consignment.
The herbal mixture is a drink derived from artemisia – a plant with proven efficacy in malaria treatment – and other indigenous herbs.
Persecondnews recalls that on May 11, the President had approved the airlifting of the Madagascar anti-coronavirus drink from Guinea Bissau where the allocations of West Africa were dropped by Madagascar Government.
Ahmed tweeted: “President Buhari has received the Madagascan native formulation against the COVID–19 pandemic.
“The president further reiterates that he will listen to science before allowing traditional or any new medicines to be administered on Nigerians.”
Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina had in April following the outbreak of Coronavirus launched the remedy at a news conference and drank a sleekly-branded bottle filled with an amber liquid which, he said, had already cured two people.

Madagascar has since been giving away thousands of bottles of the product, developed by the state-run Malagasy Institute of Applied Research, to countries across Africa.World Health Organization (WHO), however, said the drink’s efficacy is “unproven” and warned against adopting a product that has not gone through tests to ascertain its efficacy.
Madagascar has since been giving away thousands of bottles of the product, developed by the state-run Malagasy Institute of Applied Research, to countries across Africa.World Health Organization (WHO), however, said the drink’s efficacy is “unproven” and warned against adopting a product that has not gone through tests to ascertain its efficacy.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also said the drink should be “tested rigorously”.

Health specialists are worried that people who drink the product might feel they are immune to COVID-19 and engage in risky behaviour, WHO’s Africa Head Matshidiso Moeti said.
“We are concerned that touting this product as a preventive measure might then make people feel safe,” she said.
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