In an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and bedridden close to two million people across the world, scientists are scrambling to find a cure for the deadly coronavirus.
Many experts are desperately wobbling around attempting clinical trials to develop vaccines. Ethiopia has also joined the search for medicine for the virus. Some countries have initiated malarial treatments on human clinical trials and for instance the likes of the US have approved hydroxide-chloroquinetobe administrated for human treatment. Chloroquine is abitterly-tasting crystalline substance useful treatment of malaria and amebiasis. While dismissive arguments over administrating this drug on Covid-19 patients are on countries like Ethiopia are forging to develop new drugs.
Across places, experts are scrambling for finding a cure and a Daily Mail report depicts one of these desperate journeys. The article states scientists from Monash University have found that the anti-parasite medication Ivermectin, drug applied for treating head lice, can kill off Covid-19 cells. However, the scientists still working on how the Ivermectine works on virus, the drug likely stops the virus dampening the host cells’ ability to clear it. The scientists are considering how to determine the correct amount of human dosage as the next step to make sure that the level used in vitro is also safe for human application. That is how the world is scaling the search for cure.
Ethiopia and a few more African countries are relying on ancient medicine which have existed for centuries. Few days ago, in a press statement, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology have announced that traditional medicine specialists have developed a local treatment drug for coronavirus. The drugwas developed blending traditional medicinal knowledge and skills with contemporary science.
Abraham Belay (PhD), Minister of Innovation and Technology said that the drug has been vetted for research trials and produces efficacious results in laboratory demonstration procedures.
According to the minister, Ethiopian scientists have been involved in the research process following the epidemic and so far noble out comes have been witnessed that encouraged the team of researchers to take the laboratory trials to the next phase.
Accordingly, the drug was approved to move ahead as it has passed through several analytical and testing phases. The government has provided “the green light” for advanced research procedures in the clinical trials which will involve experimenting the drug on both animals and humans. The minister also reassured that said the research strictly follows to the guidelines and standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO)and the final product will be made available in the foreseeable future.
The drug is expected to treat Covid-19 patients through improving resistant and immune systems. While briefing reporters together with Abraham,Lia Tadesse (MD) said that “we expect a successful result from the study”. According to Lia, soon be stated the final test results of the product when final approvals are guaranteed. Reports are suggesting that in less than three months, the drug will be made available. It is also reported that mass production will began as preparations have initiated by the government.
Following this announcement, however, mixed feelings and serious arguments have been flying across the social media. Many echoed and voiced concerns that the premature announcements might have endangered ongoing efforts of preventive measures. Many have argued it would have misled the public to assume a new medicine has already been developed risking the cruising awareness campaigns to fight the spread of corona virus. In a nutshell, criticizers downplayed the untimeliness and hasty declarations by the government on its pursuits to develop prospective cure.
Reacting to flaring criticisms, Abraham came out to downplay commentators and argued that the announcements mean to stimulate ongoing precautionary measures and boost hopes that the government is exerting utmost efforts to arrive at treatments. But that doesn’t mean that precautions and prevention measures need to be disregarded. In his recent twits, the minister has countered such criticisms. He said the announcements of medical experiments have been deliberately politicized and was offended by the ill comments forwarded against the researchers.
Animal toxicity and clinical testing will soon be finalized to administer the drug for human application, the minister reiterated. “I would like to assure you once again that so far we have achieved beyond satisfactory outcomes and within a short period of time we will finalize the process and will announce to the public”. Yet both Lia and Abraham have stated Ethiopia’s path towards developing a cure for Covid-19, they urged the public adhere to the safety guidelines and not to be distracted as clinical trials will take time.
Abebech Shiferaw is one of the traditional doctors involved in the development of Ethiopia’s drug from various botanical sources. Minister of Innovation and Technology has alluded the contributions of Abebech and her associates. Yet, she was one of the victims of social outcry. In her defense stood, Rodas Tadesse (PhD), a religious scholar at the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church and a TV show host on Ethiopia’s astronomy.
Ridiculing the sarcastic social media hullabaloos, Rodas argued that Ethiopia has a very rich medicinal resources the developed world was exploring for ages. In his Facebook page, he gave accounts of his direct encounter with 400 manuscripts of Ethiopian medicines currently kept in the library Washington based, Catholic University of America. These ancient books of medicine are exploited by foreigners while Ethiopians are waning against these medicines and traditional doctors. He was infuriated the scale and lack of recognition for the laborious efforts traditional medicine experts are exerting to find out the cure for Covid-19.
While laboratories have accommodated traditional medicines to find treatments, some institutions are coming up with software and applications that provide essential services and information about the virus. The Information Network Security Agency (INSA) has developed a software that bids necessary information about the number of cases, about the safety requirements and guidelines and the like.
