This archive report was first published on 12 May 2020.
On May 12, 2020, Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina expressed his concerns about the global response to a COVID-19 herbal tonic invented in his country.
The president claimed that the reaction to the tonic, known as Covid-Organics, illustrates the West's biases against African solutions.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the tonic has not undergone clinical trials to prove its safety for human consumption.
Despite this, many African countries have already procured the Covid-Organics, which is produced from the artemisia plant and other Malagasy plants.
President Rajoelina argued that if a European country had discovered the remedy, there would be less doubt about its efficacy.
However, the WHO has held a meeting with 70 experts of traditional medicine from Africa, who agreed that clinical trials are still crucial for evaluating the efficacy of new medicines.
Madagascar has confirmed 193 positive cases of coronavirus with no fatalities reported, and the president's herbal tonic was tried on less than 20 people over three weeks.
