Madagascar banks on its 'green gold' to take on coronavirus

Plants of artemisia annua are being grown in greenhouses for transformation, in the village of Faharetana, near Antananarivo. Artemisia, a kind of fern that resembles cannabis, enjoys a loyal following in Africa where many view it as the go-to cure for COVID-19. While the remedy has gained popularity locally and seems to be selling like hotcakes in Madagascar, experts question the validity of the country’s newly acquired ‘green gold'.

Day workers of the BIONEXX company are beating dried Artemisia annua plants to collect the seeds. Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina is the promoter-in-chief of the drink made from this plant, marketed as COVID-Organics in the form of an infusion.

BIONEXX employees set up a nursery to develop Artemisia annua seedlings. Asserting that the Madagascan brew has the potential to "change history", Rajoelina has widely distributed it in his Indian Ocean island nation and exported it to many parts of Africa. The East African countries of Tanzania and the Comoros are among enthusiastic customers as well as Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea on the Atlantic coast.

Rasamiharimanana Solofo, an agricultural engineer and researcher within the company BIONEXX, inspects plants of artemisia annua growing in greenhouses. Artemisia annua has a long history in its native China, where scientists discovered an active ingredient that made the plant a front-line weapon in the fight against malaria.

Day workers beat dried artemisia annua in order to harvest the seeds. The substance has proven effectiveness against malaria, but no clinical trials have tested it against COVID-19, either as a cure or as a preventative. Detractors, with undisguised scorn, dismiss it as a magic potion that is at best useless.

Bionexx is working to develop a hybrid to maximise the strength and effectiveness of wild Artemisia annua, with researcher Rasamiharimanana Solofo estimating that the quest could take four years.

A day worker of the company BIONEXX, beats dried artemisia annua in order to harvest the seeds. BIONEXX, has been producing artemisia since 2005 to fight malaria.

Employees of the BIONEXX company sow seeds of Artemisia annua in a nursery. In recent weeks, both the World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have underscored the need for empirical testing of local formulas to demonstrate they are safe and effective as claimed.

BIONEXX employees set up a nursery to develop Artemisia annua seedlings.

Rafaramalala Rovaniaina, 23, a daily employee of the company BIONEXX, sift to collect seeds from dried artemisia annua plants.