An alert on the incautious use of herbal medicines by sub-Saharan African populations to fight against the COVID-19

摘要

Populations worldwide are currently facing one of the biggest pandemics in history, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic which started in Wuhan (China). Although having declared its first cases several weeks after, Africa, and especially sub-Saharan Africa is actually witnessing an epidemiological progression of COVID-19 within its populations [1]. In parallel with the pandemic´s evolution, various therapeutics are being studied around the world, but at this time none has been uniformly approved. In this context, for preventive and/or therapeutic purpose against COVID-19, some populations notably in sub-Saharan Africa, frequently and firstly resort to traditional herbal medicines, chiefly those known for their respiratory and/or anti-viral therapeutic properties. This is all the more important to note considering the abundance of medicinal plants in sub-Saharan Africa and the low literacy levels of a great part of the population at risk. However, this incautious use of herbal medicines may have reported and detrimental health consequences.