Not long ago, the President of the Republic of Madagascar announced that a local laboratory had succeeded in developing a drug against Covid-19. However, this remedy contains artemisia (mugwort), a controversial plant which is used in this country against the advice of the WHO.
On April 19, 2020, the President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina announced the arrival of a drug against Covid-19. With 121 confirmed cases and no deaths , the situation in this country is not alarming. However, it seems that the research laboratories are active. As Réunion 1ère indicates, this is particularly the case of the Albert Rakoto-Ratsimamanga laboratory, working under the authority of the Malagasy Institute for Applied Research (IMRA). The latter has indeed announced that he has created a drug capable of fighting against Covid-19. To achieve their goals, the researchers resumed work in progress for several years on malaria.
Dubbed Covid-Organics , the treatment in question contains molecules from plants of the genus Artemisia . However, it is a plant usually cultivated and used in Madagascar to fight against malaria. Very controversial, the use of this plant is against advice of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Several local media such as Madagascar-Tribune or L'Express de Madagascar have explained that Covid-Organics has already made it possible to treat 39 patients nowadays. In addition, the drug has been officially deployed since April 20. According to the authorities, it should be used preventively to strengthen the immune system. In particular, it is a question of administering it to children who will return to school after deconfinement.
The fact that the WHO has always opposed the use of artemisia obviously raises questions. Asked by RFI, Olivier Bouchaud, head of the infectious and tropical diseases department at Avicenne hospital, gave his opinion. He believes that no one has evidence of the effectiveness artemisia against Covid-19, although taking it in the form of herbal tea does not pose any particular risk.
However, the Malagasy president is very confident and awaits the opinion of international bodies on the subject of Covid-Organics. The Head of State thinks that this discovery could shake up the established order in the world of economy . Indeed, mugwort is mainly grown in Madagascar, in other parts of Africa, but also in Asia.
The genus artemisia includes many species of herbaceous plants, shrubs and other shrubs. For example, Artemisia annua which is known to have various applications in medicine . Traditional Chinese medicine was also awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2015. Indeed, the Chinese Youyou Tu discovered a particularly effective treatment against malaria thanks to an extract of this famous plant.
