President Muhammadu Buhari has given an order for Nigeria’s allocation of the Madagascar syrup, reportedly effective for the COVID-19 treatment, to be airlifted into the country.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, said this on Monday in Abuja at the 29th joint national briefing of the taskforce.
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He said Nigeria had not taken delivery of the Madagascar COVID-19 solution yet.
Daily Trust reports that the Madagascan President, Andry Rajoelina, weeks ago, launched a locally produced medicine he believes can prevent and cure patients suffering from COVID-19 ailment.
The drug was developed by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research and branded COVID Organics.
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President Rajaolina while presenting the drug to the media, said it contains Artemisia, a plant cultivated in the country to fight against malaria.
“All trials and tests have been conducted and its effectiveness in reducing the elimination of symptoms has been proven for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 in Madagascar,” President Rajaolina had said.
However, the SGF while responding to a question on if Nigeria had ordered for the syrup said: “Madagascar has made allocations to various countries. It has been sent to Guinea Bissau by the President or Prime Minister of Madagascar and certain allocations have been made to different countries. We have an indication of the quantity that has been allocated to Nigeria and we are supposed to make an arrangement to freight it out of Guinea Bissau to Nigeria.
“I have received instructions from Mr. President to make arrangements to freight it home, with a clear instruction that I should subject it to the validation process similar to what will happen to any other medicine or syrup or vaccine that is discovered or created internally. So, it will be subjected to the same process before it is put into any form of use. There will be no exception for that.”
The SGF said that Nigeria has only one National Response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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