Africa News of Sunday, 17 May 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Madagascar records first coronavirus death

Madagascar has recorded its first death despite reports of a working Coronavirus cure Madagascar has recorded its first death despite reports of a working Coronavirus cure

Madagascar has recorded its first coronavirus death, local media have reported.

According to reports, a 57-year-old medical officer at a hospital in the city of Toamasina, died Saturday night.

CGTN reports that Taskforce spokeswoman Hanta Danielle Vololontiana disclosed in a televised statement that the victim had underlying conditions of diabetes and high blood pressure.

The record of the first death comes weeks after Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina launched COVID Organics (CVO), an organic herbal drink he claims can prevent or cure coronavirus patients.

World Health Organisation is yet to sanction the use of the drug, cautioning against the use of CVO without any medical supervision and cautioned against self-medication.

The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Patrick Kumah Aboagye earlier this month, disclosed that the country was to receive quantities of Madagascar’s highly publicized mixture.

“I believe that a quantity might be made available to the country and we will ensure collaboration with FDA. They have to do some assessment and then we take it from there.”

“So, I will not be able to say whether it will be used or not. But I think they have made an offer and we can take a look at it,” he told a gathering of reporters at the Information Ministry.



Ghana's confirmed Coronavirus cases stand at 5735 with 1754 recoveries and a death toll of 29.

Meanwhile, global figures of the pandemic currently peg at 4.66 million with 1.71 million people recovering.

Over 300,000 people have perished so far.