by RICHARD MUPONDE/HARRIET CHIKANDIWA GOVERNMENT is clinically testing anti-parasite drug, Ivermectin in a bid to establish its efficacy in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The second wave of COVID-19 currently affecting the country has resulted in 1 075 deaths as at yesterday. This was revealed by acting Health secretary, Robert Mudyiradima on Monday when he appeared before a virtual committee hearing by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care chaired by Ruth Labode. Mudyiradima told MPs that government was in the process of clinically trying Ivermectin, which has not been banned in the country, but has been allowed for individual COVID-19 applications. “Its widespread use is limited until clinical trials that are underway to prove its efficacy in treating COVID-19 patients are proven,” Mudyiradima said. “The therapeutics for COVID-19 treatment such as the zumbani herbal plant, steaming and Ivermectin are still being studied for their efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19,” he added. However, recently a prominent medical practitioner, Jackie Stone stoked controversy in the medical fraternity after prescribing Ivermectin, Doxycycline and Nano Silver as COVID-19 therapy, reportedly despite lack of clinical evidence that they were safe. Other medical practitioners said her prescriptions were “a worrying combination of therapy for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19”. The Medical and Dental Professional Council of Zimbabwe also wrote a letter of complaint about Stone’s behaviour to the Medical and Dental Professional Council of Zimbabwe registrar Josephine Mwakutuya last week, demanding that her fitness to continue practising in the country should be reviewed. But the Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe (Emcoz) wrote to Vice-President and Health minister Constantino Chiwenga (pictured), seeking authorisation of Ivermectin for prevention and treatment of COVID-19. “There is increasing evidence that the anti-parasite drug Ivermectin has the potential to improve outcomes for patients affected by COVID-19. It also protects or prevents infection of both high risk individuals such as healthcare workers and those exposed to contacts of persons infected with COVID-19,” a letter dated January 18 by Emcoz vice-president Demos Mbauya read. He further claimed that evidence showed that the veterinary vaccine could reduce the need for hospitalisation of COVID-19 patients and shortens healing time. Mbauya said while there was veterinary and human formulations of Ivermectin, their proposal referred only to the human version of the vaccine, whereby more than three billion doses have already been administered worldwide. “The medicine is on the World Health Organisation (WHO) list of essential medicines and it won the Nobel Prize in 2015 for its beneficial impact on humanity. The medicine has an excellent safety profile and most of the side-effects associated with the use of Ivermectin are side-effects resulting from the body eliminating the parasites that have been killed by it,” he said. Health experts