Towards finding a cure for COVID-19: the role of African Traditional Medicine as an indicator of development

ABSTRACT

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is triggered by SARS-CoV-2 virus, on March 11, 2020. Nations all over the world reacted quickly, enacting various mitigation measures such as travel and movement restrictions, prohibitions on meeting, generalized or partial lockdowns, handwashing, and promotion of good hygiene and health. Corona virus outbreaks have claimed the lives of many people globally since 2019, with an estimated of over 5 million people infected. The world health organization since the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic released statements about nations working towards finding a vaccine for the virus. Furthermore, with 80% of African population depending on traditional medicine, a spotlight was on the WHO about their views on African traditional medicine, which is a component of African indigenous Knowledge Systems as one of the COVID-19 treatments. The WHO therefore declared that traditional medicine would undergo clinical trials to check its potential as COVID-19 treatment. The paper examines the effects of COVID-19 in Africa, as well as existing clinical trials in African traditional medicine to cure and treat the virus, using existing literature. In addition, the paper considers the future of traditional medicine in the pharmaceutical and other medical plant industries.