PRESIDENT Buhari has approved the airlifting of Nigeria’s allocation of the Madagascar COVID-19 Syrup into the country.
According to the presidential taskforce chairman, Boss Mustapha on Monday, the president also directed that the drug must be subjected to the standard validation process for pharmaceuticals.
“There will be no exceptions for this,” Buhari has said.
Boss in the PTF’s daily briefing revealed that Madagascar had made allocations to various countries, and sent them to Guinea Bissau.
“We‘re supposed to make arrangements to freight Nigeria’s allocation from Guinea Bissau; it‘ll be subjected to the standard validation process for pharmaceuticals,” he added.
According to him, Nigeria has only one National Response to the COVID-19 pandemic where there are differing strategies is in the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions.
But as far as the (Health) Response is concerned, there is only one national response.
Similarly, South Africa on Saturday had agreed to helping Madagascar put the remedy through clinical trials.
Meanwhile, ECOWAS as well as its health Institution, West Africa Health Organization (WAHO), in a statement has disassociated itself from claims that it ordered a package of Covid Organics (CVO) medicine from Madagascar.
The regional body informed the general public that it has not ordered the said CVO medication.
Similarly, the World Health Organization, African region has advised and cautioned countries from adopting the use of a product that has not gone through clinical tests for safety and efficacy.
Matshidiso Moeti Director of the WHO African region tweeted, “we are prepared to collaborate with the government of Madagascar to take the product through a clinical trial.”