Coronavirus in Senegal: warning against speculation on artemisia

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In Senegal, it is the rush on artemisia. This traditional plant used against malaria is in the news with the herbal tea presented by the President of Madagascar as a remedy for coronavirus. Despite the warnings, demand for artemisia-based products is increasing substantially.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Dakar, Charlotte Idrac

The World Health Organization remains very cautious about this "Covid Organics". According to the WHO, its effectiveness has not been proven. In Senegal, Professor Moussa Seydi, responsible for patient care, also believes that tests are needed and does not validate its use in the treatment protocol at this stage. Despite these warnings, the demand for artemisia-based products is exploding in Senegal ... and prices too.

"  Capsules available, immediate delivery  ". On Facebook, this reseller takes orders. We call him pretending to be a client. "  The capsules are available but the herbal teas are exhausted  ", he tells us before adding that "  the capsules cost 6,500 and the teas 7,500 FCFA  "and that he " can deliver to us in less than an hour, in Dakar  ".

7,500 FCFA a sachet of herbal tea instead of 2,500, less than 4 euros as indicated on the package.

In Senegal, artemisia is cultivated in particular in the Tivaouane region, and sold under the label "Le Lion Vert". Its representative, the Belgian Pierre Van Damme, collapsed under demand.

“  On average, Le Lion Vert sold more or less between 3,000 and 4,000 packages per month. Today we are producing 2,000 packs a day and we have a demand for 4,000 packs a day. It made a boom. Our position is very clear: there is nothing that is still scientifically proven. Our first objective is malaria and we stipulate that artemisia is not a medicine, it is a food supplement. We do not want artemisia to become political or a business at all  , ”he said.

Faced with speculation, Le Lion Vert has put a humorous video online: a father being trapped by his son with… fake capsules.

Senegal recorded on Monday May 4 its tenth death linked to Covid-19, a 58-year-old man who died at the Main Hospital in Dakar. To date, the country has registered 1,271 positive cases, including 845 under treatment.

Read also: Coronavirus: Senegal remains cautious about the Malagasy “remedy”

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• Senegal
• Coronavirus

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