COVID-19 home-base solution: NAFDAC meets researchers, herbalists over local treatment

Published May 8, 2020

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Thursday indicated that Nigeria was making headway in getting local cures for COVID-19.

The PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, gave this indication at the task force press conference in Abuja.

He said the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Department of the Federal Ministry of Health had forwarded some of the claims for COVID-19 cure to the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control.

According to the SGF, some of the claims for COVID-19 cures have met preliminary requirements, but the NAFDAC will evaluate them for listing.

Also on Thursday, NAFDAC met with alternative medical practitioners and researchers on the listing of herbal medicines for COVID-19 treatment.

According to the agenda of the meeting, issues such as COVID-19 and herbal medicines as well as NAFDAC food and chemical laboratory testing were discussed.

There were indications also Thursday that the Federal Ministry of Health had directed NAFDAC to carry out necessary procedures for the assessment of a plant-based cough mixture to treat COVID-19 patients.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mashi Abdullahi, issued the directive in a memo with reference TCAM/077/I/65, addressed to the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.

The document, dated April 28, 2020, was titled, ‘Formulation of a Phyto-Medicine-Based Cough Mixture/Syrup for the Management of COVID-19 Patients by Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Department of the Ministry.’

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Wednesday, said the local medicines in Nigeria had not been tested and could be poisonous.

FG directs NAFDAC to evaluate local COVID-19 cures

On Thursday, the task force Chairman, Mustapha, said the PTF would continue to support efforts to invent a local cure for coronavirus, adding that the ministry of health had started evaluating some claims.

He stated, “For some time now, there have been claims of inventions and cures related to COVID-19. The PTF, as part of its mandate, remains supportive of and receptive to outcomes of research. It, however, finds it imperative to reiterate its position on the need for such discoveries to undergo the scientific validation processes.

“The PTF is aware that the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Department of the Federal Ministry of Health has been evaluating such claims and forwarded some that have met the preliminary requirements to the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control to carry out the necessary procedures for listing.”

Also, the ministry of health in its letter to the NAFDAC DG noted there was no definite treatment or vaccine for COVID-19.

It stated, “This has necessitated countries to look for solutions from within and Nigeria is no exception. It is worthy to note that Nigeria is blessed with medicinal plants which could be exploited.

“It is heartwarming to note that the Department of the TCAM has taken the pains to research into scientific materials to come up with a formulation intended for the management of cough in COVID-19 and other cough-related infections.”

According to the ministry, the formulation is a Cov-herbal cough mixture.

It said, “Interestingly, all the ingredients that make up the formulations are medicinal plants that are widely used as food materials and medicines.

“They include Allium sativa (garlic); Allium cepa (onions); Zingiber officinale (ginger): Piper guineense (West African Black Pepper); and Adansonia digitata (baobab fruit). The innovation here is the composition of the formulation.

“These medicinal plants have documented scientific evidence of long use for the management of cough and other respiratory infections, with medicinal properties of mucoiytic, antitussive, expectorant, soothing, demulcent, anti- inflammatory and antiviral effects.”

The ministry stated that it was determined to “walk the talk” in the promotion and integration of herbal medicine into the health care delivery system.

“In view of the foregoing and the desire of the ministry to showcase to the public a product that is 100 per cent sourced locally, you are requested to carry out the necessary procedures for listing.”

In an interview with The PUNCH on Thursday, NAFDAC Director of Public Affairs, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, explained herbal drugs were listed after it had been confirmed that they were not toxic.

He, however, said that such listed drugs were not usually given full registration.

In a related development, the leadership of NAFDAC met with 35 players in the herbal and alternative medicine sector as part of efforts to find a treatment to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The virtual meeting, which was convened by the Director General of NAFDAC, had in attendance over 35 players in the herbal medicine sector including two professors of Pharmacognosis, Maurice Iwu and Anthony Elujoba, who was once an acting Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.

Some others at the meeting were Prof. Martins Emeje of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development; the Managing Director, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, Matthew Azoji; and Prof. McDonald Edu of the Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Benin.

Others are Executive Director, Yemkem International Group, Mr Akinyemi Ayeni; and Dr. Oluwatobi Abiola, Managing Director of Ablat Nigeria Limited, manufacturers of Yoyo Bitters.

The meeting also had in attendance representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Investment as well as the Department of Traditional and Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the Ministry of Health.

The meeting was the third edition of the Nigerian Herbal Medicine Product Committee symposium which seeks to explore herbal solutions to health challenges in the country

However, the NAFDAC DG said only one firm had so far approached the agency for approval and it was for the treatment of the symptoms of COVID-19, not the virus itself.

Adeyeye said all claims must go through necessary testing before clinical trials can commence.

Source:https://punchng.com/covid-19-home-base-solution-nafdac-meets-researchers-herbalists-over-local-treatment/

So good to know that some have submitted their herbal combinations, already, for NAFDAC ruling.


https://www.nairaland.com/5812601/covid-19-nigerian-doctor-says-he

Way to go!
The world needs to embrace nature!

Lol

Tissaia:
Lol

Natural herbs if well harnessed, with modern days practices, are always very potent.

Like our herbs for erectile challenges, they work wonders and no side effect.

Those days, our fathers used to burn the herbal combinations to ashes and soak the roots with alcohol. Then, those with erectile/sperm issues are to lick one tablespoon per day for 21 days and take a shot of the soaked roots, as a long-term cure.
But now, we have eliminated the use of alcohol in extracting these herbs. Reason being that, not everybody takes alcohol. We no longer burn herbs.
What we do, it to dry the herbs very well, blend them into powder, as tea for men. By so doing, we are able to get the correct dosage for an average body weight.

Good one

We are just in this country on our own

Very good way to go but don't be surprised oga at the top has d final say DR WHO. even it works and DR WHO say it is not a cure then it doesn't work and will not work..
The same reason trump is fighting with them...

This was supposed to be the first line of consultation with the president while waiting for the vaccines from W.H.O....

I don't know who is advising this government... But there are certain things that should be consider first before money and kickbacks....


I will say this again,Ebola virus was greatly managed and discharged..This virus would've been a thing of the past in Africa....


We have roots and plants that can treat everything.... Africa is supposed to be the world's remedy ground... not a slavery ground....with terrible leaders and wicked individuals...

yanabasee1:
This was supposed to be the first line of consultation with the president while waiting for the vaccines from W.H.O....

I don't know who is advising this government... But there are certain things that should be consider first before money and kickbacks....


I will say this again,Ebola virus was greatly managed and discharged..This virus would've been a thing of the past in Africa....


We have roots and plants that can treat everything.... Africa is supposed to be the world's remedy ground... not a slavery ground....with terrible leaders and wicked individuals...

Funny enough, we are losing some of these things.

Flexherbal:


Funny enough, we are losing some of these things.

My dad used to tell me how herbs where used to treat diseases and how these herbal men were better than hospitals and how people would survive drastic accident and get back on their legs walking perfectly by those local bone doctors with their herbs....


These people lose interest in their field of expertise when the government decided to push everybody into using the foreign drugs without empowering local medicines...


Going to the hospital is much okay.... but have these local medicine doctors partnered with....


Get them a laboratory and have their drugs sold out.....and boost the country's economy....


Nigeria should just get sense abeg!!

Something you should have done since..not everyone you have to follow oyinbo like hunting dog..since the white man has not really come up with a solution why can't we try our traditional herbs and if they don't work, we will at least know we tried out best... Madagascar has not recorded a single death , has 85% recovery rate, all thanks to their herbal cure..Senegal and some other countries have requested for them. ..the link I shared below is was shared by an Igbo man living in London on twitter , he tried it and worked for his mother, another person administered it to a 3 people 2 blacks and one white, a black and a white have recovered, while the third one is recovering.
Lemon, ginger and garlice blend them to a very thick paste, look for garlic and ginger tea, dissolve in warm water, add a scoop of the thick paste, drop two tablets of paracetamol and take three times daily or try the one I posted below...the government is not ready to provide any solution that's why they sent us out while they are in the safety of their mansions...use a secured face mask, wash your hands regularly, practice social distancing, don't go out unless it's very necessary.. this is a phase it shall pass soon..God bless us
Modified: https://mobile.twitter.com/Son_of_Bello/status/1254561779746836480
The link to the video on twitter

yanabasee1:




My dad used to tell me how herbs where used to treat diseases and how these herbal men were better than hospitals and how people would survive drastic accident and get back on their legs walking perfectly by those local bone doctors with their herbs....


These people lose interest in their field of expertise when the government decided to push everybody into using the foreign drugs without empowering local medicines...



Nigeria should just get sense abeg!!

The Nigerian factor is now affecting all aspects of life.
Some of us now put money first, instead of the health of the patients.
Those days the wellbeing of all was everybody's business. Herbalists would prepared herbs for you, you use first, get the desired result, before you would go and appreciate them.

But, now, the cost of living is very high. Everybody is now thinking of how to survive. I am not against making money with your gift or talent. But, people should make sure that people who pay you, for whatever, get the value for their money.

yanabasee1:




My dad used to tell me how herbs where used to treat diseases and how these herbal men were better than hospitals and how people would survive drastic accident and get back on their legs walking perfectly by those local bone doctors with their herbs....

True talk!