Specialist gives ivermectin the green light; SAHPRA implored to change recommendation

4 February 2021 

The civil rights organisation AfriForum today in a letter to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) implored this institution to change their recommendation on the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 to “recommended for treatment of COVID-19”. This follows the recommendation by Dr Andrew Hill of Liverpool University that ivermectin treatment for anyone who tested positive, is the way forward. Dr Hill was reacting to a study about the increased transmissibility of new variants of the corona virus.

“SAHPRA relied heavily on the opinion of Dr Hill for SAHPRA’s recommendation on ivermectin. Dr Hill now recommends the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Countries such as Slovakia, Zimbabwe and Peru approved ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19. Ivermectin is safe, was approved by other governments and there are multiple studies that show that it works. There is no reason for SAHPRA not to change their recommendation on ivermectin,” says Barend Uys, Head of Research at AfriForum.

A copy of the letter was also sent to the Minister of Health and parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health.

Issued by Carina Bester, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum, 4 February 2021