Hospitals in Madagascar have been struggling to cope with a surge of Covid-19 cases, despite the president’s herbal tea touted as COVID-19 treatment.
President Andry Rajoelina has been promoting the unproven product regardless of warnings against untested remedies by the World Health Organization (WHO).
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According to BBC, cases have quadrupled in the past month in the Indian Ocean island, with more than 13,000 infections and 162 deaths from coronavirus, which has spread to all but one of its 22 regions.
Last month, Health Minister Ahmad Ahmad appealed for international help to get equipment as he expressed his concern about the rapidly filling hospitals – for which he was rebuked by the presidency.
The defence ministry also issued a call to find volunteer doctors and nurses to support the staff at a treatment centre set up at the Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo.
Despite the spike, President Rajoelina stands by the herbal concoction called COVID-Organics, which was launched to great fanfare in April.
It is produced by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research from artemisia plant – the source of an ingredient used in a malaria treatment – and other Malagasy plants.
The drink has been marketed as a prevention and remedy – and for the last four months been offered to children at school.
Earlier in the month the president was out again distributing the tonic, along with essentials such as rice, oil, sugar, to poor communities in the capital, Antananarivo.
He faced criticism for drawing crowds during a lockdown, but his attitude remained upbeat, saying; “The epidemic won’t last, it’s only passing through and we will defeat it.”
President Rajoelina claimed that the number of infected people was not high in suburbs of the capital where the free distribution of the drink had started a few months ago.
Speaking about the herbal tea, WHO said it welcomes innovations based on traditional remedies but it wants scientific evidence before backing their use.
So far no results of clinical trials about the drink have been made public – though that has not stopped stop the tonic from becoming a source of African pride for some. Free shipments have been sent to dozens of African countries.
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As at Friday, Madagascar has 13,643 coronavirus cases and 164 deaths.
