Coronavirus: WHO supports use of traditional medicine to treat COVID-19

05 Mai 2020

Dakar, Senegal,  May 5 (Infosplusgabon) - The World Health Organization is working with research institutes, particularly in Africa, to select products from traditional medicines on which study can be conducted to determine their clinical efficacy and safety in the treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19), said a statement sent on Tuesday.

"WHO recognizes that traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine has many benefits. Africa has a long history of traditional medicine and traditional health practitioners who play an important role in the care of populations," it said.

WHO pledges that it will continue to assist countries as they review the role that traditional health practitioners play in prevention, containment, early detection, and referral of cases to health facilities.

It pointed out that medicinal plants, such as Artemisia annua, are considered as possible treatment for COVID-19, but that tests should be carried out to evaluate their efficacy and determine their adverse effects.

"Africans deserve to use drugs tested according to the standards that apply to drugs manufactured for people in the rest of the world. Even where treatments are derived from traditional practice and nature, it is essential to establish their effectiveness and safety through rigorous clinical trials," the statement said.

WHO said it welcomes innovations around the world, including the recycling of medicines, traditional pharmacopeia products, and the development of new therapies in the search for potential treatment for COVID-19.

The organization recalled that African governments, through their Ministers of Health, adopted a resolution on traditional medicine in 2000, which called on them to generate evidence-based data on the safety, efficacy, and quality of traditional medicine.

"Countries were also invited to conduct relevant research and to request national drug regulatory authorities to approve medicines in accordance with international standards, which include following a strict research protocol and testing, as well as clinical trials," WHO added.

According to WHO, as efforts are made to find a treatment for COVID-19, caution must be taken to avoid misinformation, particularly on social media, about the effectiveness of certain remedies.

"The use of products intended for the treatment of COVID-19, but which have not been strictly investigated, may put populations at risk and prevent them from applying measures, such as hand washing and physical distancing, which are cardinal elements of COVID-19 prevention. It may also increase the use of self-medication and increase the risk to patient safety," warned WHO.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/TRF/GABON2020

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