DRC uses traditional medicine in virus fight

As scientists battle to find a cure for the novel coronavirus, inhabitants of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, have resorted to traditional medicines.

They flood traditional pharmacies at the Gambela central market to stock up on Kongo-bololo, believed to cure patients.

African tradi-practitioners believe the way of their ancestors might be the way out of a pandemic that has brought the global economy to its knees. Béatrice Swamilu is one of them, and boasts that the continent has treated diseases with similar symptoms in the past.

“We didn’t prescribe Kongo-bololo to people only for the Corona virus, no! Kongo-bololo is a plant that everyone can consume. If they don’t find the solution in modern medicine, they should return to the medicine of the ancestors . These plants should provide a cure of this virus.”

While certain substances can alleviate the symptoms of new coronavirus, there is currently no evidence that they can prevent or cure the disease.

Biochemist Théophile Mbemba advised people to “respect the measures but also consume turmeric, consume ginger, consume garlic, consume onions, consume the maniguette commonly known as ‘Mondongo’ in Kinshasa, consume eggplant because there are active ingredients, molecules, therefore antioxidants in its food products which are potential inhibitors of the Covid-19 protease.” It should be recalled that there no official vaccine for COVID-19 at the moment.