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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Is the WHO encouraging trials of an African herbal remedy as a potential treatment for COVID-19?

By Esther Tsvayg
YES

The World Health Organization has endorsed clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of artemisia, a plant promoted in Africa as a treatment for COVID-19.

China has long integrated natural herbs into standard treatment protocols—both traditional Chinese remedies (using licorice and ginseng root) and western medicines are part of its official treatment plan for COVID-19. Outside China, there have been few efforts to apply the same rigorous vetting of traditional remedies that regulators demand for new lab-developed medicines.

In Africa, authorities were initially skeptical of claims early in the pandemic by Madagascar's president about the benefits of an herbal drink derived from artemisia annua. A byproduct of the plant, known as sweet wormwood among other names, is used to treat malaria. The University of Kentucky is also conducting research into the plant.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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