A Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Prof Frederick Binka says African Scientists have a great potential in impacting the global scientific community by providing a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
Professor Binka’s comment was in relation to a recent media report indicating that Madagascar had found herbal cure for Covid19. Though the World Health Organization has dismissed the claim, some African countries such as Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau have made plans to import the tonic which contains the artemisia plant, normally used to treat malaria.
Prof. Binka praised the Madagascan President for patronizing the drug and dispelled the assumption that a vaccine for the virus could not be discovered, here, in Africa.
“If you look at the data from Madagascar, they have recorded 200 cases of the corona virus and no one has died from the coronavirus. I think we should pay attention to it.”
Prof. Binka called on the WHO to team up with scientists in Madagascar to ascertain the efficacy of the drug before rubbishing it.
“… What the WHO should do is to send a team to Madagascar and find ways in which the drug can be assessed. The WHO has launched a solidarity research that is looking at several drugs, so I don’t think they can condemn something without actually investigating…” he noted.
According to him, African scientists could perform as good as their counterparts in Europe if only African governments invest in scientific research. He explained that Africa had not been able to receive the recognition of its scientific breakthrough partly because “We haven’t put our best foot forward.”
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According to him, governments must take an interest in investing into scientific research to advance the cause of these scientific achievements.
“We have schools in Africa which can investigate and evaluate this well, so we should invest some monies in research. We need research most because we have the biggest burden of disease.”
The President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina launched a herbal concoction believed to cure coronavirus earlier last month when it had been tested on fewer than 20 people.
So far, at least three African heads of state have said they are importing large quantities of the herbal tonic which the President of Madagascar claims can cure the virus even when its efficacy has not been proven by scientific peer reviews, with Madagascar’s own national medical academy casting doubt about it.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) in a statement, said though it welcomed the use of traditional medicines in the search for potential treatments, it warned they must first be robustly tested. It has urged people not to put their faith in local untested remedies for coronavirus.
SOURCE: KOJO DEI/ATL FM NEWS
