The World Health Organisation says it has been inundated with requests by traditional healers and herbalists for testing of medical concoctions they believe are capable of treating coronavirus.
WHO health promotions officer Kevin Makadzange is quoted as telling the Times of Swaziland that the UN agency’s country offices in Mbabane are being flooded by traditional healers and herbalists who come with their concoctions for testing.
The official however said his organisation would prefer the traditional healers and herbalists to organise themselves into groups instead of coming individually.
“It is easier to work with groups and associations than to work with individuals. It will be hard for us to assist people coming in individually,” Makadzange said.
The requests for testing come in the wake of an announcement by the WHO eSwatini office on May 14 that it was ready to clinically test traditional medicine so that it would be endorsed scientifically.
eSwatini has so far recorded 250 cases of coronavirus and two deaths.
JN/APA