Written by: Pearl Kupe
Article source: Supplied

Covid 19 Victory
News is just in advising that the medicines regulator  SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) will allow the public access to the drug Ivermectin. The CEO of SAHPRA, Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, announced on 27 January, 2021 that Ivermectin will be allowed for treatment and prophylaxis of Covid 19. She stated that ”We will facilitate a controlled compassionate access programme”.

Ivermectin, the wonder drug
The use of Ivermectin as a drug to treat Covid 19 has been a sore subject over the past couple of months and point of great debate. Ivermectin is listed by the World Health Organisation as an essential medicine and has been proven medically safe. It is a drug which won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and is cited by WHO as having an 83% success recovery rate from covid 19 and they have declared the drug even safe for use by children. The South African medical councils and regulators have not allowed the use of Ivermectin on humans, citing its primary use in South Africa as for animals. Several people in South Africa, however have been using Ivermectin to successfully treat Covid 19. Others such as myself, have used it for its prophylactic preventive attributes.

My personal experience with Ivermectin
Towards the end of December, 2020  whilst in Nigeria, my attention was drawn to the usefulness of Ivermectin on a social media platform by journalist and former Editor of Move and Drum Magazines, Thandi Mthwetwa, whose whole family had been infected with Covid 19. Thandi was advised by some doctors who specialized in covid cases to take Ivermectin immediately. Ivermectin, however was not readily available in any hospitals or pharmacies and she had to travel 80 kilometers to the nearest vetinary hospital to get the drug. After taking the recommended dose of Ivermectin, every member of her family was well on the road to recovery within 48 hours.

She gave me a lot of information on Ivermectin and sent me a batch of the drug. I also ensured that I asked about the drug whilst still in Nigeria. and was able to source it whilst in Nigeria. Nigeria has been successfully using the drug over the decades to treat river blindness, a type of parasitic disease. Coming back to South Africa on January 12,  I was acutely aware that the second wave was upon the nation and that the covid 19 strain that was in South Africa was said to have mutated and gained strength. I took Ivermectin a week after my arrival in South Africa and will continue to take it as a prophylaxis on a monthly basis to benefit from its preventive quality.

Salt & Light-Active citizenry in play
The reluctance by health professionals and government to give quick access to the public to Ivermectin sparked a huge public outrage. South African citizens mobilized themselves into groups and took on different responsibilities. Some formed a Facebook page, South Africa has a Right to Ivermectin (SAHARI) . This is a group of over 60,000 members who list themselves as an Advocacy group that was created for the “urgent approval and efficient roll out of Ivermectin as basic medicine in South Africa”. They were extremely efficient in mobilizing support, drafting petitions and giving out information as well as educating the public on the usefulness of Ivermectin.

Another group that took action was a group of 100 Health professionals. On the 15th January, 2021 A petition was signed by close to 100 South African healthcare professionals who appealed to President Cyril Ramphosa to set up an urgent special council to conduct a rapid review of the antiparasitic drug Ivermectin.The petition was led by a general practitioner from Durban, Dr Naseeba Kathrada, who wrote a heartfelt letter to the president, urging him to save the lives of South Africans.

On the 24th January, the civil organization Afri Forum Civil rights organisation announced it would be taking health Minister Zweli Mkhize and SAHPRA to court to allow for the drug Ivermectin to be prescribed by doctors to treat Covid-19.

There were other groups and individuals that were recently mobilized into action to petition for access to the drug Ivermectin. Of critical importance is that this has shown us in South Africa, that the voice and accompanying actions by the people count for something. Action was not taken by Government Ministers, Members of Parliament or those we refer to as “Politicians. Instead, action was taken by ordinary citizens who were passionate about the cause and moved into action by the plight of the people. This is promising and very exciting! KE NAKO SOUTH AFRICA!

This is what South Africa needs and has been waiting for!

VIVA ACTIVE CITIZENRY VIVA !

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Date published: 28/01/2021
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only.
Pearl Kupe-Attorney & International consultant to world leaders & International organizations is International President-Global Forum for Women Entrepreneurs- www.gfwe.co.za . Personal website on www.Pearlkupe.co.za Email pearl.kupe@gmail.com

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