Former President and Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has called for the use of traditional medicine in the fight against the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ghana.
“It is time to explore the role of alternative medicine and traditional remedies in the fight against the Coronavirus. Some traditional medicines are known to boost the immune system and can help both in the prevention of people succumbing to the disease and also play a role, a palliative function in the management of persons suffering from COVID-19,” he said.
John Mahama made the call on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, when he announced the donation of food items to some 20,000 households in areas affected by the partial lockdown.
There is currently no known cure or vaccine for COVID-19.
Health officials, however, recommend the washing of hands and frequent usage of sanitizers as well as keeping hands off the face.
Individuals are also advised to consume Vitamin C to boost their immune system.
Meanwhile, some people have claimed that a locally produced dietary supplement known as COA FS could cure COVID-19.
We’ve not independently tested COA FS for COVID-19 treatment – Noguchi
But Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) says it has neither independently tested nor verified COA FS as a treatment for COVID-19.
The Institute gave the indication after some media publications claimed that Noguchi had approved the local medicine for treatment for COVID-19 patients.
NMIMR said no independent test or verification has been done on COA FS to approve it for the treatment of COVID-19.
“We have not tested it so…as to whether it will work against it [Coronavirus], it has to be tested. We are in touch with the manufacturers but we are not the ones who will test it under the circumstances. The GHS, FDA, ourselves and other parties must come together to determine how that kind of thing works,” Director of NMIMR, Prof Abraham Kwabena Annan said in a Citi News interview.
