Runesu Gwidi Masvingo Bureau
Some local doctors on Friday launched clinical tests in Masvingo to ascertain the effectiveness a of a powder made from local herbs, against Covid-19 .

The powder, called Bhanan’ana, was discovered by prominent herbalist Dr Kenneth Chivizhe.

Dr Chivizhe will be conducting the tests with the assistance of Dr Tichaona Sithole under the supervision of the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe executive secretary, Mr Tendai Kureya.

Mr Kureya is also part of a 10-member expert advisory committee on Covid-19 that was approved by Cabinet which is working with the chief co-ordinator of the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva.

Mr Kureya, who was in Masvingo for the launch, said the researchers were keen to establish the effectiveness of the herb, which is in powder form and is taken with water.

“My invitation here is on a fact- finding mission but it is also because we have now engaged with this team more formally because they came to us and said this thing works and we are saying show us,” he said.

“We have a very systematic way of doing that first we want to talk of people who have used it. We want to make sure that we have a thorough scientific investigation of what has worked for those particular people. This is really just the preliminary. We are going to assist the team to put together a scientific protocol that goes through rigorous lab testing and making sure that what is the drug that makes it work the way it works so that it is properly documented. By the time that you want to sell it internationally just like the other drugs it is backed by the appropriate research that would have gone into the system to get to that stage.

“Also importantly for us is to make sure that as they do their work we want them to do it in an ethical way. We want to make sure that they work with a team of scientists with the appropriate lab setting, pharmacologists and other people who look at the different aspects of the drug. We think that at this point there is something here that we would like to follow through quite adequately. There is enough anecdotal evidence of the value, which can be derived from this array of herbs,” said Mr Kureya.

He said MRCZ has since tasked more than 100 researchers across the country to conduct rigorous check on the use of various herbs before they are granted both ethical and scientific approval.

Dr Chivizhe claimed that the powder could cure as many as 23 ailments.

He said that they called the powder Bhanan’ana because its strength was akin to that of a bolt of lightning.

Dr Chivizhe said the recommended dosage was two pinches of the powder dissolved in warm water taken twice a day for five days.