A group advocating for the urgent and equitable roll-out of Ivermectin called South Africa Has A Right to Ivermectin (SAHARI) launched the #ThePeoplesMedicine campaign, to educate the public about Ivermectin and its alleged benefits.
Shabnam Palesa Mohamed, founder of SAHARI said: “Saturday, 27 of February2021 will be remembered as the day our country united to embark on a national educational campaign on Ivermectin, standing with our constitutional rights to health, information, freedom of expression and Ubuntu.
“We shared the most beautiful element of the Ivermectin story; that it is derived from the soil. As we plant seeds of information, we realise at least 50 percent of South Africans do not know about Ivermectin, or were misinformed by unethical parties. Once they find out the facts, they ask for information flyers to share within their communities. This is the strength of the campaign.”
Saskia Langerveldt, national coordinator of The People’s Medicine campaign said the public’s rights to dignity, choice, health and life are violated: “Government and their funders try their best to keep the truth a secret, suffocating us with censorship, red tape,
lies, denial and ignorance. SAHARI embarked on a mission to educate every South African about Ivermectin facts. Civil society must realise its power like the mighty oak tree, the SAHARI movement will be remembered as one of the greatest human rights movements that helped create, shape and drive Covid-19 history.”
Verushka Soma Memdutt, KwaZulu-Natal coordinator of the campaign, said: “Our members will continue printing translated flyers and distributing them, along with information stickers. We will continue to engage people about this Noble prize-winning, effective, safe and cheap medicine. SAHARI will continue the fight for our right to Ivermectin for all South Africans, which includes the poorest of our poor who cannot afford Section 21 processes to obtain Ivermectin. Mohamed said: “We will continue this fight until government recognises the benefits of Ivermectin and puts in place a proper large scale roll-out plan.”
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has not changed their stance on Ivermectin since they allowed for a controlled compassionate use of the drug on 27 January. SAHPRA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, said: “SAHPRA notes the limited treatment options for the Covid-19 pandemic and is also concerned about the escalation of positive cases of Covid-19 and deaths.
As SAHPRA’s focus is on the health and well-being of “the South African public, SAHPRA had several meetings and consultations with the scientific and medical community to explore the options for controlled, monitored access to reliable quality Ivermectin-containing products for human use with simple but essential reporting requirements.”
