AfriForum approaches court urgently about ivermectin
24 January 2021
The civil rights organisation AfriForum brought an urgent court application against the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and Dr Zweli Mkhize, Minister of Health, to ensure that ivermectin developed for human consumption is available to doctors who want to prescribe it to treat COVID-19. SAHPRA has until now failed to approve applications by doctors – which were brought in terms of Section 21 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act – to have ivermectin approved for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
It is requested in the court application (among others) that:
· The failure of SAHPRA to approve the Section 21 applications be reviewed and set aside and that the court approves the Section 21 applications;
· A declaratory order that ivermectin is a safe drug for the use of humans, subject to it being properly administered in a controlled manner under the management of a treating medical practitioner; and