By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
There have been torrents of broadcasts on WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, quoting the President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, of saying that the World Health Organization (WHO) offered him $20 million to poison the herbal remedy used by the Island nation in the treatment of COVID-19.
The original source of the report is a newspaper called Tanzania Perspective. It has been widely shared on all the social networks, and has generated angry reactions. Someone even said it is: ‘wickeness in high places.’
A fact-check, however, shows that the newspaper is not listed by Wikipedia among the 16 newspapers in Tanzania. It also does not have a website, except for the graphic illustration of the tabloid displayed on https://web.mpaper.co.tz/read/show/16448/105/dar-moro-sgr-power-line-phase-ready-soon.html
On the verified Twitter handle of Rajoelina, @SE_Rajoelina, the claim of a bribe by the WHO does not exist.
It is, however, true that the Madagascar President has been critical of the WHO for ignoring his herbal tonic as a cure for COVID-19.
He claimed that the global heath body was not interested in the Madagascar herbal remedy because it was developed by a poor African country, but endorsed other medications from rich countries for clinical trial of COVID-19, even though they have been found to be harmful.
Madagascar now has more than 300 cases of the COVID-19, with one death. Rajoelina said the proof that the herbal medication was effective in the treatment of COVID 19 was in the high recovery rate.
He said infected persons take no other medication apart from the artemisia-based tonic, which is also used for malaria treatment.
