No results yet from ongoing trials with local herbs for COVID-19, says Minister

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As Nigeria intensifies efforts at producing an indigenous cure for the Coronavirus pandemic fast disrupting the nation’s socio-economic activities, Dr. Osagie Ehanire,  Honourable Minister for Health, has said that the ongoing trials with the selected local  herbs for COVID-19 have yet to yield any results.

Dr. Ehanire disclosed this development on the country’s current efforts at containing  the pandemic Friday, June 12 while featuring on a programme monitored on Channels TV in Lagos.

According to the Minister, the samples of the traditional remedies which Nigeria recently received from Madagascar have been given to research centres for examination.

Herbal Cures    Photo: iStock

He said: “The Nigeria Centre for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, the Institute of Medical Research, in Yaba, and also the organs of the Ministry of Science and Technology are looking into these herbal remedies.”

“The indigenous herbs that have also been developed for trials have also not yet yielded the results.”

He observed that the country would continue to work with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in order to develop possible solutions to the ravaging virus.

Ehanire stated: “As far as the other medicines are concerned, we are working with the World Health Organisation solidarity trial, to see what medicines may work.

“We have tried Chloroquine; we are trying Hydroxychloroquine and some other combinations including anti-retroviral drugs which are believed to have the potential to halt the growth of the virus.

“Some of them are said to work in vitro (outside the body) but it is not yet confirmed that they also work inside the body (in vivo).

“The tests are still going on and we do not have any conclusive reports at yet.”