Ivermectin decision still very restrictive; court case to go ahead

27 January 2021  

The civil rights organisation AfriForum views the announcement by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) – that it will allow for humanitarian reasons a controlled access programme for the use of ivermectin in humans to treat COVID-19 – as  a step in the right direction, although it is still extremely restrictive. For this reason, AfriForum’s case against SAHPRA, which will be heard on 2 February 2021, will continue.

AfriForum brought an urgent court application on 24 January against SAHPRA and Dr Zweli Mkhize, Minister of Health, to ensure that ivermectin developed for human use can be made available so that doctors can prescribe it for the treatment of COVID-19. However, SAHPRA still fails to approve applications by doctors – brought in terms of article 21 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act – to use ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.  

“SAHPRA’s announcement is a step in the right direction, but still does not provide the necessary relief and certainty that we urgently need. AfriForum will therefor continue its legal action because this same urgency and uncertainty remain. Every day people die while a medicine exists that may probably save their lives. SAHPRA has not yet even reacted to the first applicant’s article 21 applications,” says Bared Uys, head of Research at AfriForum.

Uys also says that SAHPRA’s decision is also an admission from their side that ivermectin compounded for human use is indeed safe. 

Issued by Andrea van Wyk, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum, 27 January 2021