In April 2020, Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina announced a locally developed remedy against COVID-19 from the IMRA's Albert Rakoto-Ratsimamanga laboratory. This treatment, featuring artemisia (mugwort), has sparked debate due to WHO recommendations against its use.
With 121 confirmed cases and no deaths at the time, Madagascar's labs ramped up efforts. Building on years of malaria research, the IMRA team developed Covid-Organics, derived from Artemisia plants traditionally used locally for malaria. Though effective against malaria—as evidenced by the 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to Tu Youyou for Artemisia annua extracts—its application to COVID-19 remains unproven per WHO guidelines.
Reports from outlets like Madagascar-Tribune and L'Express de Madagascar note that Covid-Organics treated 39 patients by late April 2020. Authorities promote it for preventive use to bolster immunity, including for schoolchildren post-deconfinement.
Despite WHO opposition, President Rajoelina remains optimistic, suggesting Covid-Organics could disrupt global pharmaceutical markets, given artemisia's cultivation in Madagascar, Africa, and Asia. Dr. Olivier Bouchaud, head of infectious and tropical diseases at Avicenne Hospital, told RFI that while artemisia tea poses low risk, no solid evidence supports its efficacy against COVID-19. International validation is pending.
Artemisia species offer proven medicinal benefits, particularly against malaria, underscoring Madagascar's traditional knowledge in herbal remedies.
