COVID-19: Our trials with indigenous herbs have not yielded results yet — Health Minister

The Minister for Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said that the ongoing trials with indigenous herbs for COVID-19, have not yielded any results yet.

He said this on Friday, during a special Democracy Day programme on Channels Television, while responding to questions about Nigeria’s current efforts in the fight against the pandemic.

The minister made mention of the samples of the traditional remedies which Nigeria recently received from Madagascar.

According to him, they have been given to research centers and “the Nigeria Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, the Institute of Medical Research in Yaba, and also the organs of the Ministry of Science and Technology are looking into these herbal remedies.”

“The indigenous herbs that have also been developed for trial have also not yet yielded the results,” he added.

The health minister also noted that Nigeria will continue to work with the World Health Organisation to develop possible solutions to the virus.

“As far as the other medicines are concerned, we are working with the World Health Organisation solidarity trial, to see what medicines may work.

“We have tried Chloroquine, we are trying Hydroxychloroquine and some other combinations including anti-retroviral drugs which are believed to have the potential to halt the growth of the virus.

“Some of them are said to work invitro (outside the body) but it is not yet confirmed that they also work inside the body (invivo).

“The tests are still going on and we do not have any conclusive reports at yet,” Ehanire said. (Channels TV)