The president of Tanzania has said that he will be sending a plane to Madagascar to import a herbal tonic which has been touted as a cure for coronavirus by the country’s president.
Congo-Brazzaville’s president has also promised to import the drink.

It is produced from the Artemisia plant – the source of an ingredient used in malaria treatment.

WHO (The World Health Organisation) has said that there is no proof of any cure and it has advised people against self-medication.

The president’s chief of staff, Lova Hasinirina Ranoromaro, said that the drink was launched as ‘Covid Organic’ and was being marketed after being tested on fewer than 20 people over a period of three weeks.

In response to the launch, in a statement, WHO said that they did not recommend “self-medication with any medicines… as a prevention or cure for coronavirus”.

It reiterated earlier comments made by the head of WHO, Tedros Ahanom Ghedreyasus, who said that there were “no short-cuts” to finding effective mediation to finding a cure to coronavirus.

International trials were under way to find an effective treatment, the WHO said.

Speaking on TV, Tanzania’s President John Magafuli said that he was already in contact with the Madagascan government and would despatch and aircraft to the island nation to collect the medicine.

He said: “I am in communication with Madagascar and they have already written a letter saying that they have discovered some medicine.

“We will despatch a flight to bring the medicine so that Tanzanians can also benefit.

“So, as the government, we are working day and night”.

President Magafuli has been widely criticised for his reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic. He has encouraged the public to continue to gather in places of worship, while much of the world was in lockdown.

According to WHO, Tanzania’s delay in enforcing strict measures to prevent further spread of coronavirus in the country could have led to the spike in positive cases.

There are 480 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country, while Congo-Brazzaville has 229 and Madagascar has 135.