The federal government said it is not lapping up United States President, Donald Trump’s recommendation of chloroquine as effective in the treatment of coronavirus pandemic.
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Trump’s claim which was refuted by the Food and Drug Administration of the US has drawn the comment of the Nigeria’s government.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said Nigeria would not heed to Trump’s advice.
According to Ehanire, chloroquine is still undergoing clinical trials to determine whether it is effective in the pandemic treatment and has not been certified by any authorities.
He said: “We are not following President Donald Trump’s announcement. We look at what the World Health Organisation recommends and what our own scientists here recommend. So far, there are things that have been said about chloroquine.
“There are things said about chloroquine that it was active in vitro tests and not proved to be active in vivo. In vitro means testing outside the human body; it appears to be active. In vivo means testing it against the germs inside the body but not proven to be so active.”
However, price of chloroquine has however surged from N400 to as much as N1, 000. Reports said pharmacies are taking advantage of the high demand for the drug which pre-coronavirus era was banned in the country.
