The Federal Government on Thursday provided the latest update on the Madagascar herbal mixture purported to be a cure for coronavirus disease.
The government said findings showed that the Madagascar herb called COVID Organics contains ingredients for treating malaria.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, made this known during the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
He said: “The so-called Madagascar herb is one component of the malaria treatment medicine.
“Some years ago, the government actually imported this plant and has a plantation of it in trying to develop its own production of the artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT).
“The plantation is still there, but the process has not gone that much further.
“We are looking into seeing what has held it up, but the plant is here; it was intended for producing anti-malarial, and the type we have here has a very high yield of artemisinin, which is actually the active ingredient.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had in May received the solution alleged to have been developed in Madagascar for the cure of coronavirus.