Nigeria has declared that the Madagascar COVID-19 herb syrup did not show any evidence that it could cure COVID-19.
The federal government also confirmed that nearly 248,000 Nigerians have been tested for the virus.
Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the 52nd Joint National Briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF).
He said the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) has shared its final report on the evaluation of the COVID Organics from Madagascar.
The minister disclosed that the initial report showed that its main ingredient is the same as Artemisia.
“While the preparation at high dose showed activity in reducing the frequency of cough, it did not show any evidence that it has real curative properties against COVID-19,” he said.
Ehanire assured that the government will continue to support all genuine efforts toward finding local COVID-19 cures.
On coronavirus cases, he observed that daily record over the past weeks now fluctuate within the 500 to 700 bracket.
He said, We can rightly assume from the exponentially increasing numbers that the pool of potentially infectious persons in the community is rising.”
Ehanire said the Ministry of Health, through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), now has 59 molecular diagnostic laboratories for COVID-19 tests.
He disclosed that all States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were receiving financial support from the COVID-19 response through the Regional Diseases Surveillance Enhancement (REDISSE) Project.
