THE Federal Government of Nigeria has given approval to National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to carry out necessary procedures for the assessment of a plant-based cough mixture as a possible treatment for Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The directive was sent to NAFDAC DG, Mojisola Adeyeye, through a memo from the Ministry of Health with REF no. TCAM/077/I/6.
Also confirming the development is the personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad on his official Twitter page, on Friday.
This is coming as a follow up on The ICIR’s report on the Federal Ministry of Health plans to unveil a herbal formulation for the treatment of cough associated with COVID-19 and respiratory infections.
It also came amid growing calls to the government to consider local herbal mixture alternative as a possible cure to COVID-19 since there has been no vaccine yet to fight the virus.
Nigeria is not the first country to consider herbal medicine as an alternative treatment for COVID-19 patients.
Last Month, the Madagascan president, Andry Rajoelina, launched a herbal remedy that he said could prevent and cure patients infected with the virus. Countries like Tanzania, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, and the Republic of Congo have indicated interest in the herbal remedy.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO), has said it did not recommend “self-medication with any medicines as a prevention or cure for COVID-19”.
There are “no short-cuts” to finding effective medication to fight COVID-19, WHO has said.
Abeeb Alawiye formerly works with The ICIR as a Reporter/Social Media officer. Now work as a Senior Journalist with BBC News Yoruba. You can shoot him an email via Abeeb.alawiye@bbc.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @habsonfloww