COVID ‘MIRACLE CURE' AND SRI LANKA'S FALTERING PANDEMIC RESPONSE

In April this year, while the COVID-19 virus was rampaging through communities, forcing governments to lockdown cities, President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina, a DJ turned politician launched with much funfair a herbal concoction which he said would cure COVID-19 in ‘seven days

- Ranga Jayasuriya

In April this year, while the COVID-19 virus was rampaging through communities, forcing governments to lockdown cities, President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina, a DJ turned politician launched with much funfair a herbal concoction which he said would cure COVID-19 in ‘seven days.’ Known as COVID Organics, it was a tonic made from extracts of Artemisia, a plant with anti-Malarial properties that used to make Malaria drug Artemisinin. The government of Madagascar dispatched the soldiers from house to house to distribute the herbal tonic free of charge and gave it to high school students to consume. Madagascar’s neighbours, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Guinea Bissau have all received thousands of doses of COVID19 Organics free of charge.

The supposed ‘cure’ was not scientifically proven, but, the government pressed ahead with it. The WHO, however, thought otherwise. It said the Africans deserve scientifically proven medication and Madagascar’s national medical academy also raised the alarm that the drug could damage people’s health.

Madagascar is not exactly the kind of country you want to emulate. In 2018, it was one of only four countries in the world where polio cases were still reported. Seven months on, the herbal concoction has failed to stop the spread of the virus. At least 259 have died and over 17, 500 were infected. Given the pitiful state of healthcare facilities, these numbers could only be the tip of an iceberg. However, the Madagascar government is standing by the concoction and has even announced that it would not participate in Covax Global Initiative to secure access to the vaccine. Instead, it would rely on traditional medicine.