As pharma giants around the world race to find a cure for the corona-virus, Madagascar says it already has one. But there’s heated debate on social media. Africans accuse the West of being condescending towards their faith in traditional medicine. Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina promotes so called “Covid Organics” or CVO. It’s an anti-coronavirus tea made from the plant artemisia annua. The herbal ingridient of the drink is medically proven to be effective against malaria. Now, it’s being distributed for free on the island against Covid-19 – and also shipped on bulk to other African countries. But the World Health Organisation is yet to prove the efficacy of the plant. Some Doctors say untested herbal brews could be a risk, rather than a remedy. Ghanaians also say they have a remedy. Ghana is one of the leading countries for confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa – right behind Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, with more than 5,700 cases. The disease presents an opportunity for some of its countries’ medicine men and women, who believe that they have the cure for the coronavirus. Is traditional medicine really be the answer to treat COVID-19?
