The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) of the University of Ghana has indicated that it has received a number of local herbal medicines which are being considered for the possible treatment of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The Director of the NMIMR, Professor Abraham Kwabena Annan, told the Daily Graphic that the institute had set up a platform to test and determine whether the local herbal preparations presented to the centre had the efficacy to treat COVID-19 and also determine the possible side effects of the medicines.

After testing, he said, the results would be handed over to the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the main regulatory agency for herbal preparations.

Hope

Prof. Annan welcomed innovations by traditional medicine practitioners and the development of new therapies in the search for potential treatments for COVID-19.

He said so far, looking at the number of local herbal medicines received, “there is a lot of hope because we have received a number of local medicines that are being screened for COVID-19 treatment”.

He observed that it was likely that some of the products would turn out to be very promising and perhaps offer a complete solution.

Although he could not indicate the exact time frame the testing would take, he said the testing of the traditional medicines would take a few weeks to complete.

Touching on the development of COVID-19 medicines in Ghana, the director said the institute, the FDA and the Ghana Health Service were all working together to ensure the country found a solution.