A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu, has said he has obtained approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to conduct clinical trials on COVID-19 subjects using Artemisinin, a herbal supplement.

Iwu, who is a Professor of Pharmacognosy, made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja, while delivering his keynote address on the commemoration of the 2021 African Traditional Medicine (ATM), organised by the Head of Department, Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines (TCAM), Federal Ministry of Health.

He said: “We have also obtained all necessary ethics approvals. The primary objective is to observe and evaluate safety of Artemisinin a herbal supplement on COVID-19 subjects, while, the secondary objective is to observe and evaluate efficacy of Artemisinin – a herbal supplement – on COVID-19 subjects.”

Minister of State for Health, Sen. Adeleke Mamora, who appreciated the roles of modern traditional medicine practitioners in the country, said that the ministry was currently working towards reviewing the traditional medicine policy.

The WHO representative, Dr. Kofi Boateng EPI Focal Point, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), said the WHO recognises that complementary and alternative traditional medicine has many benefits when properly harnessed, adding that research into traditional medicines was an effort in the right direction.

(New Telegraph)