ANKARA

Madagascar has donated the herbal potion that it claims cures coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic patients to Central African country of Equatorial Guinea, local media reported on Thursday.

A consignment of 11,5000 packets weighing 1.5 tons of Covid Organics (CVO) – a form of herbal tea was shipped to Equatorial Guinea. Out of this, 1,500 packets are for curative treatment and 10,000 for preventive healing.

“Equatorial Guinea wanted to be the first country to recognize and use this remedy discovered by Malagasy researchers. And we hope that health cooperation between the two countries will be further strengthened, " said La Verite, a newspaper quoting Mitoha Ondo'o Ayekaba Equatorial Guinea's deputy minister of health.

Equatorial Guinea, with a population of 1.3 million has 315 confirmed COVID-19 cases so far, with one death, and nine recoveries, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

Last week, Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina officially launched the CVO, a herbal concoction claiming that it can prevent and cure patients suffering from coronavirus. The drug has been developed by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research.

Rajoelina has directed to distribute the drink free of charge to the most vulnerable and sell it at very low prices to others.

According to information from the Presidency of the Republic of Madagascar, three African countries Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Guinea Bissau have shown interest in the CVO.