Activists call for Ivermectin to be legalised during demonstration

Visvin Reddy, African Democratic Change (Adec) president and convener of the demonstration said there is an "agenda" behind SAHPRA's banning of the drug.

A GROUP of concerned community activists held a small demonstration earlier today, in Durban, to call for the government to allow the use of Ivermectin tablets in the treatment of Covid-19.

Ivermectin is a drug commonly used to treat parasites in animals.

Over recent months Ivermectin has been touted on social media circles as a miracle cure for the novel coronavirus but health regulatory bodies around the world say the drug has not proven to mitigate any effects of Covid-19 and have not deemed it safe for human consumption.

ALSO READ: Why SAHPRA doesn’t recommend Ivermectin to treat Covid-19

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) recently released a statement saying, “From the available randomized control trial evidence, Ivermectin is not superior to placebo in terms of viral load reduction or clinical progression.”

Ivermectin is currently not registered with SAHPRA meaning it is illegal to be in possession of it.

Nevertheless, Visvin Reddy, African Democratic Change (Adec) president and convener of the demonstration said there is an “agenda” behind SAHPRA’s banning of the drug.

“We want it to be unbanned, we want it to be legalised. Our healthcare is our right, we have the right to choose and life, it is enshrined in our constitution. Why can’t we choose a medication that we believe is going to help us and if I die it is going to be my responsibility,” said Reddy.

ALSO READ: Man arrested at Durban airport with R100k worth of Ivermectin tablets

Reddy said there is a growing demand now for Ivermectin in the black market because Covid positive people are using it to treat themselves.

Last week, Berea Mail reported on a man who was caught at the King Shaka International Airport trying to smuggle over R100 000 worth of Ivermectin tablets.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting

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