Coronavirus Pandemic
By Anayo Ezugwu
IN a bid to find a cure for Coronavirus in Nigeria, the federal ministry of health is evaluating few local remedies. Olorunnimbe Mamora, minister of state for health, said the ministry had received a few proposals for local remedies for the disease and these had been forwarded to the relevant agencies for evaluation.
Speaking at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 press briefing on Wednesday, May 27, Mamora said the local remedies should be subjected to safety, toxicological and efficacy tests as well as clinical trials before it could be approved for use in Nigeria. “There are global efforts to find a cure for the disease and Nigeria is part of that effort. We have received a few proposals for local remedies for the disease and these have been forwarded to the relevant agencies for evaluation.
“For preparation to be approved for use in Nigeria, it must be subjected to safety, toxicological and efficacy tests as well as clinical trials. Last week, I led the Federal Ministry of Health team to a virtual meeting with Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Practitioners to discuss and explore opportunities for local solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting provided an opportunity for the practitioners to understand the procedures for validating medicines for use in the country.
“We were also able to find common grounds for collaboration. The government will support every genuine efforts aimed at finding local solutions to the pandemic. While we are anxious to find a cure for the disease, the federal government will not compromise the health of any Nigerian. We are not prepared to do trial and error with the health of our people. Whatever is approved for use in Nigeria must meet the required standard as determined by the relevant agencies.
“Let me at this point again advise us against crowding up as this increases the risk of transmission. There are global efforts to find a cure for the disease. Until a cure or vaccine is found, prevention is still the best approach to containing the virus,” he said.
– May 27, 2020 @ 18:19 GMT |
Tags: COVID-19: Ministry of health evaluates local remedies for cure
