The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has launched a herbal mixture capable of boosting immunity against COVID-19.
The royal father disclosed this at a world press conference to mark this year’s African Traditional Medicine day.
The Ooni who is NAFDAC ambassador also said that his medicine is one of those NAFDAC is considering for registration.
“My Virasol Herbal Medicine is one of the over 40 herbal Medicines submitted to NAFDAC for registration as immune booster against Covid-19 disease”.
He said the Virasol Herbal Medicine boosts immunity against COVID-19 and is one of over 40 whose registration number will be out soon.
Below is text of the press conference:
It is indeed a great pleasure for me to welcome you all to this historic world Pess conference convened by the Royal House of Oduduwa to celebrate the African Traditional Medicine Day and Launch of My noble Initiative, the Pan African Foundation for Traditional Medical Research and Development (PAFIMERD).
The World Health organisation (WHO) has set aside 31st August for the Celebration of Africa Traditional Medicine every year. This year’s celebration is historic in the sense that the global covid-19 pandemic which ravaged the world in the last six months has brought to the front burner the significance and strategic importance of Africa Traditional Medicine to our healthcare delivery systems in Nigeria and Africa at large. The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged and put on trial orthodox Medicines and repositioned African Traditional Medicines as credible alternative sources of therapy and cure for several illnesses and diseases.
The Covid-19 pandemic has created a new opportunity and virile conditions for our Indigenous herbal medicines to thrive. It is gratifying to note that I have seized the momentum to seek ways of ameliorating the sufferings of our people and stop avoidable deaths of our People through promotion and Development of AfricanTraditional Medicines.
I am happy to announce that My Virasol Herbal Medicine is one of the over 40 herbal Medicines submitted to NAFDAC for registration as immune booster against Covid-19 disease. I am very glad the herbal remedy has passed NAFDAC Laboratory tests and the registration number will be out this week.
The Virsol immune boosting herbal medicine is one of the series of herbal remedies developed under the aegis of my new initiative , Pan African Foundation for Indigenous Medical Research and Development (PAFIMERD) for which I am launching today to the glory of Almighty God.
The PAFIMERD has the following noble objectives:
To create a formidable and virile organisation and platform for the promotion and growth of African Traditional Medicine (ATM).
To conduct and support research and development of African Medicine especially herbal medicines.
To mobilise and create an African wide Intervention Fund for research and development of ATM.
To initiate and support policies, laws and regulations for the growth of ATM.
To undertake any other activity geared towards promoting the growth of ATM.
To serve as a rallying point and clearing house for all private initiatives and Researches in ATM.
I am also pleased to mention that PAFIMERD is in the process of signing an MoU with National Institute for Pharmaceuticals Research and Development (NIPRD). The NIPRD Director General, Dr Obi Adigwe has been a great source of inspiration for the Foundation and we shall be collaborating to harness the huge potentials of our Indigenous herbal medicines which should naturally be a major source of foreign exchange earning like in China and India.
I am very optimistic that with a strong collaboration between PAFIMERD, NIPRD and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control ( NAFDAC) we shall soon change the negative narrative of our African Traditional Medicine and reposition it as a major foreign exchange earner to the Country.
It is against this background that I sincerely appeal to the Federal Government, State Governments, the National and Assemblies to rise up to the new challenge by providing the needed fundding, legislative and Policy support to jump start ATM. The current economic downturn occasioned by Covid-19 pandemic compels us to seek effective diversification of the economy. The time to do it is now. I am therefore recommending to the National and State Assemblies nation wide to appropriate money for research and development of ATM in the 2021 Budget. I also enjoin the Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank of Indistry to set aside special grants for the development of ATM.
Distinguished Gentleman of the Press, I invite you as Advocates and Partners in our onerous task of developing and promoting our God given natural herbal remedies.
I wholeheartedly thank you for responding to my invitation at a very short notice.
God bless you all. God bless PAFIMERD. God bless Nigeria.
His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi commemorating African Traditional Medicine Day on 31st August, 2020 in Lagos.