President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has asked for an explanation from the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Monica Musenero, and the Ministry of Health on why Covidex, a local drug for curing COVID-19, has not been regularized after three years.
In a statement dated, Sunday 18 June 2023, President Museveni declared himself cured from corona after 11 days of self-isolation at Nakasero State Lodge. He said that there was a need for the line ministries to confirm whether the claim that Covidex would cure Corona was a mere lie.
“I need a quick answer from Dr. Musenero and from the Health Ministry,” he demanded.
After confirming tests for curing the variant, Professor Patrick Ogwang, a clinical pharmacologist and researcher at Jena Herbals Uganda Limited, received approval from the National Drug Authority (NDA) to deal in the sale and distribution of the local drug in June 2021.
However, after close to three years, its regularization is yet to be made, which has raised questions about its impact.
The President wondered how somebody could claim that he can cure Corona, which has killed so many people, and it is now three years later and you have not confirmed his claim or proved it to be a lie.
“More seriousness is required here,” he demanded.
During the State of the Nation Address to Parliament at Kololo Independence Grounds on June 7, 2023, President Museveni revealed that one of the three COVID-19 tests he undertook a day before (Tuesday) morning was positive.
In a chronology of his battle with the virus, he stated that he initially ignored signs of the virus in his body until he developed a running nose, but upon examination by his doctor, it was found that he had very low vitamin D levels, a condition that predisposed him to severe COVID-19 infection.
“Unbelievable! My vitamin D levels were very low, my vitamin B12 levels were very low, etc. Imagine the President of Uganda is malnourished to the detriment of his life,” Museveni wondered.
He continued by saying that he started taking the vitamins right away, and that front soon became strong. Then, boosters and immunization came next.
In the statement, he further advised NRM cadres, militants, and all Ugandans to avoid all the risk factors to health, such as alcohol, promiscuity, careless driving, avoiding malaria, smoking, exercising for fitness, eating healthy African food (maize, cassava, millet, bananas, fruits, milk, beef, chicken, fish, etc.), and ensuring vaccination against all the vaccinatable diseases and having all vitamins.
He, however, called on the health managers to spend more time promoting disease prevention than waiting for people to be sick in order to qualify for curative management.
COVIDEX is an herbal formulation containing berberine as a primary anti-SARSCOV-2 compound notified by the NDA for supportive treatment in managing COVID-19 and related viral infections.
