Former President John Dramani Mahama has made a strong case for traditional and herbal medicines as he has advocated for it to be used in treating COVID-19.

Mr. Mahama made the call on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, when he donated food items to some 20,000 households in areas affected by the partial lockdown.

“It is time to explore the role of alternative medicine and traditional remedies in the fight against the Coronavirus. Some traditional medicines are known to boost the immune system and can help both in the prevention of people succumbing to the disease and also play a role a palliative function in the management of persons suffering from COVID-19,” he said.

He called for a collective approach towards the contact tracing and surveillance.

"I wish on this note to reiterate my call for a broader participation of traditional leaders, heads of faith-based organizations, Assemblymen and women and local CSOs in the efforts at contact tracing, surveillance and public education in respect of the COVID-19 disease".

In this regard, I call on the President to urgently meet with the National House of Chiefs and solicit the support of our chiefs in this regard. This is also important considering the reported resistance communities are putting up against the use of facilities in their area for setting up isolation centers.

"My brothers and sisters, the worrying trend of the increase in confirmed cases of Coronavirus infections – 566 as at yesterday – calls for a dedicated commitment by us all towards supporting the fight against the infections".

"The latest extension of the lockdown period is accordingly appropriate. We must help our security personnel to enforce the directives and ensure that movement during this period is minimized in order to stop the spread of the virus".



Considering the new cases being discovered, it is clear that we are entering a new phase where there is the beginning of a horizontal spread of the disease. This requires us to redouble our efforts in the battle against the pandemic.

In his view, more testing centres need to be set up in order to shorten the waiting time for results. This is necessary so that appropriate models of the expected trajectory of the disease can be developed in order to guide any decisions on easing the restriction of movement of people.

"We must set up a National COVID-19 Command Centre equipped with appropriate communication systems and bank of phone lines with volunteers keeping in touch with persons who are in quarantine, persons who are in isolation, those who are awaiting results and those suffering symptoms of the disease.”