Within Madagascar Hoaxes
How Covid Organics Rumours Outgrew the Original Claim
Unsupported claims about Covid-Organics expanded online into false endorsements, bribery allegations and reports that Madagascar had left the WHO.
On this page
- What was claimed about the herbal product
- How endorsements and political rumours were fabricated
- Why crisis conditions made the misinformation spread
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Introduction
Covid-Organics began as a controversial claim about a herbal drink promoted in Madagascar during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. What made the episode especially significant in the history of misinformation was not only the original assertion that the product could prevent or treat COVID-19, but the way that claim rapidly spawned a wider ecosystem of false stories online. Within weeks, social media users and partisan websites were circulating fabricated reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) had secretly endorsed the drink, that international organisations were trying to sabotage it, that foreign leaders had ordered large supplies, and even that Madagascar had broken with the WHO altogether. Many of these stories were unsupported or demonstrably false, yet they travelled widely because they combined health fears, political suspicion and a powerful narrative of an African country supposedly being ignored or obstructed by global institutions.[afp.com]factcheck.afp.comAFP Fact CheckThere is no evidence Madagascan president said WHO…20 May 2020 — Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina has accused the Wo…
In Madagascar’s broader history of contested claims and modern myths, Covid-Organics stands out as an internet-age example of how an uncertain scientific claim can evolve into a much larger misinformation phenomenon.
What Was Claimed About the Herbal Product?
In April 2020, Madagascar’s government launched Covid-Organics, a drink derived largely from artemisia and other herbal ingredients. President Andry Rajoelina publicly promoted it as a preventive and curative response to COVID-19. The product was distributed nationally and attracted attention across Africa and beyond.[time.com]time.comCould It Work as a Cure?Maybe.' A Herbal Remedy for Coronavirus Is a Hit in Africa, But Experts Have Their DoubtsMay 22, 2020 — On April 20, Madagascar's Preside…
The central controversy was straightforward: there was no publicly available clinical evidence showing that Covid-Organics could prevent or cure COVID-19. The WHO, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and medical experts repeatedly argued that any treatment should undergo proper scientific testing before health claims were accepted. Madagascar’s own medical establishment expressed reservations about the evidence available at the time.[time.com]time.comCould It Work as a Cure?Maybe.' A Herbal Remedy for Coronavirus Is a Hit in Africa, But Experts Have Their DoubtsMay 22, 2020 — On April 20, Madagascar's Preside…
That scientific disagreement created fertile ground for rumours. Supporters often framed criticism as proof that powerful international actors were threatened by an African innovation, while critics focused on the lack of clinical data. The dispute soon moved beyond questions of medicine into the realm of political storytelling and online misinformation.[com.tr]aa.com.trAAMadagascar slams WHO for not endorsing its herbal cureMay 11, 2020 — 11 May 2020 — President Rajoelina said WHO has shut eyes, as a drug to combat COVID-19 has been discovered by a poor Afric…
How Endorsements and Political Rumours Were Fabricated
One of the most widely shared false stories claimed that the WHO had offered Madagascar’s president a US$20 million bribe to poison or suppress Covid-Organics. The allegation appeared in social media posts, blogs and newspaper reports in several countries. Fact-checking investigations found no evidence that President Rajoelina had made such an accusation, and representatives of the Malagasy presidency explicitly denied the story.[AFP Fact Check]factcheck.afp.comAFP Fact CheckThere is no evidence Madagascan president said WHO…20 May 2020 — Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina has accused the Wo…
Another recurring rumour claimed that the WHO had finally endorsed Covid-Organics as a cure. In reality, discussions between Madagascar and international health organisations concerned scientific evaluation and possible testing procedures, not approval of the product’s effectiveness. Fact-checkers found that reports presenting those discussions as proof of endorsement were misleading.[Africa Check]africacheck.orgmadagascars president said who supporting clinicalAfrica CheckMadagascar's president said WHO supporting clinical…25 May 2020 — Finally, WHO declares support for Madagascar's claim ove…
Social media also generated stories about dramatic international support that never materialised. Viral posts claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered Covid-Organics and urged Africans to reject WHO advice. Investigations found no official evidence supporting these claims, and Malagasy authorities denied them.[AFP Fact Check]factcheck.afp.commadagascar refutes claims putin ordered herbal drink touted coronavirus remedymadagascar refutes claims putin ordered herbal drink touted coronavirus remedy
Similarly, false reports circulated that African heads of state or regional organisations had formally approved the remedy. In several cases, organisations that were supposedly endorsing the product publicly clarified that they had not done so and were still awaiting scientific evidence.[PesaCheck]pesacheck.orgOpen source on pesacheck.org.
These stories shared a common pattern. A real event—such as a discussion with the WHO, interest from another country, or an announcement by the Malagasy government—would be exaggerated into a dramatic narrative involving secret plots, international validation or geopolitical conflict.
The False Story That Madagascar Left the WHO
Among the more persistent rumours was the claim that Madagascar had withdrawn from the WHO because of disputes over Covid-Organics. The story circulated repeatedly on social media years after the product’s launch.
No such withdrawal occurred. Madagascar remained a WHO member state, and there was no official departure linked to disagreements over the herbal remedy. The rumour appears to have grown from genuine tensions between Malagasy officials and international health authorities, then evolved into a simplified and emotionally satisfying story in which Madagascar supposedly rejected a hostile global institution.[Wikipedia]WikipediaOpen source on wikipedia.org.
The claim survived because it fit neatly into an existing narrative already popular in some online communities: that international organisations were deliberately blocking an effective African treatment. Once accepted, that narrative made new rumours seem plausible even when no supporting evidence existed.
Why Crisis Conditions Made the Misinformation Spread
The Covid-Organics rumours emerged during one of the most uncertain periods of the pandemic. In early 2020, reliable information about COVID-19 was limited, public anxiety was high, and people were searching urgently for treatments and explanations. Researchers studying pandemic misinformation have noted that fear, information overload and trust in unverified online content all increase the likelihood that false claims will be shared.[arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Why do People Share Misinformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic?arXiv Why do People Share Misinformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Several factors made the Covid-Organics story especially attractive:[Wikipedia]WikipediaSource details in endnotes.
- It offered hope. A simple herbal remedy seemed far more appealing than the prospect of a prolonged global health emergency.
- It contained a political underdog narrative. Supporters often portrayed Madagascar as a poorer nation challenging powerful international institutions.
- It mixed truth with exaggeration. Real meetings, real exports and real debates about the product made fabricated claims harder for casual readers to distinguish from genuine developments.
- It travelled across multiple media systems. Rumours appeared not only on Facebook and messaging platforms but also in newspapers, blogs and partisan websites, giving them an appearance of legitimacy.[medium.com]medium.comAfrican COVID-19 conspiracy theories reignite hostileAfrican COVID-19 conspiracy theories reignite hostile
Researchers examining rumours around Covid-Organics have also noted that debates about colonial history, scientific authority and African self-reliance became intertwined with discussions of the product itself. As a result, fact-checking often struggled because many people were responding not only to evidence about the drink but also to broader political and cultural concerns.[SAV]sav.skDoubting the Malagasy RemedyRumours and Suspicion…by P DESPLAT · 2022 · Cited by 8 — Or how should academics deal with misinformation, post-truth or conspiracy th…
What Eventually Changed the Story
The most dramatic claims surrounding Covid-Organics gradually weakened under scrutiny. Fact-checkers repeatedly demonstrated that supposed bribery allegations, foreign endorsements and WHO approvals lacked evidence. International health agencies continued to insist on clinical testing rather than accepting anecdotal reports.[afp.com]factcheck.afp.comAFP Fact CheckThere is no evidence Madagascan president said WHO…20 May 2020 — Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina has accused the Wo…
Meanwhile, COVID-19 continued to spread in Madagascar despite the promotion of the herbal drink, undermining claims that it had already solved the crisis. Scientific support for the product never reached the level required to establish it as a proven COVID-19 treatment.[time.com]time.comCould It Work as a Cure?Maybe.' A Herbal Remedy for Coronavirus Is a Hit in Africa, But Experts Have Their DoubtsMay 22, 2020 — On April 20, Madagascar's Preside…
Yet the rumours did not disappear entirely. Like many pandemic-era myths, they continue to circulate because they satisfy broader beliefs about hidden cures, institutional distrust and geopolitical unfairness. The Covid-Organics episode therefore illustrates a modern form of misinformation: a disputed claim that generated an expanding network of false endorsements, conspiracy allegations and invented political consequences, long after the original question of scientific evidence should have settled the debate.[afp.com]factcheck.afp.comAFP Fact Check recently debunked allegations that he had accused the WHO…Read more…
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Endnotes
1.
Source: factcheck.afp.com
Link:https://factcheck.afp.com/there-no-evidence-madagascan-president-said-who-offered-bribe-poison-covid-19-remedy
Source snippet
AFP Fact CheckThere is no evidence Madagascan president said WHO...20 May 2020 — Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina has accused the Wo...
Published: May 2020
2.
Source: factcheck.afp.com
Link:https://factcheck.afp.com/there-no-evidence-backing-madagascars-claim-homegrown-herbal-drink-cures-covid-19
Source snippet
AFP Fact Check recently debunked allegations that he had accused the WHO...Read more...
3.
Source: time.com
Title: ‘Could It Work as a Cure?
Link:https://time.com/5840148/coronavirus-cure-covid-organic-madagascar/
Source snippet
Maybe.' A Herbal Remedy for Coronavirus Is a Hit in Africa, But Experts Have Their DoubtsMay 22, 2020 — On April 20, Madagascar's Preside...
Published: May 22, 2020
4.
Source: Wikipedia
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covid-Organics
5.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: COVID-19 pandemic in Madagascar
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Madagascar
6.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Andry Rajoelina
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andry_Rajoelina
7.
Source: sav.sk
Title: Doubting the Malagasy Remedy
Link:https://www.sav.sk/journals/uploads/10060950SN.2022.3.32.pdf
Source snippet
Rumours and Suspicion...by P DESPLAT · 2022 · Cited by 8 — Or how should academics deal with misinformation, post-truth or conspiracy th...
8.
Source: factcheck.afp.com
Title: madagascar refutes claims putin ordered herbal drink touted coronavirus remedy
Link:https://factcheck.afp.com/madagascar-refutes-claims-putin-ordered-herbal-drink-touted-coronavirus-remedy
9.
Source: pesacheck.org
Link:https://pesacheck.org/false-african-heads-of-state-have-not-approved-madagascars-covid-19-herbal-remedy/
10.
Source: arxiv.org
Title: arXiv Why do People Share Misinformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Link:https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.09600
11.
Source: arxiv.org
Link:https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.14765
12.
Source: medium.com
Title: African COVID-19 conspiracy theories reignite hostile
Link:https://medium.com/dfrlab/african-covid-19-conspiracy-theories-reignite-hostile-narratives-against-world-health-organization-c2c22c876895
13.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: COVID-19 misinformation by governments
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_misinformation_by_governments
14.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/CDDWestafrica/photos/did-president-of-madagascar-accuse-who-of-offering-20-million-bribeverdict-false/3270485469642826/
15.
Source: africacheck.org
Title: madagascars president said who supporting clinical
Link:https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/meta-programme-fact-checks/madagascars-president-said-who-supporting-clinical
Source snippet
Africa CheckMadagascar's president said WHO supporting clinical...25 May 2020 — Finally, WHO declares support for Madagascar's claim ove...
Published: May 2020
16.
Source: aa.com.tr
Title: AAMadagascar slams WHO for not endorsing its herbal cure
Link:https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/madagascar-slams-who-for-not-endorsing-its-herbal-cure/1836905
Source snippet
May 11, 2020 — 11 May 2020 — President Rajoelina said WHO has shut eyes, as a drug to combat COVID-19 has been discovered by a poor Afric...
Published: May 11, 2020
Additional References
17.
Source: youtube.com
Title: COVID-Organics: Madagascar donates ‘cure mixture’ to Equatorial Guinea
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukbdpPIs4X0
Source snippet
"Covid-Organics" Madagascar COVID-Organics: Madagascar donates 'cure mixture' to Equatorial Guinea africanews...
18.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5uwdN4Oiww
Source snippet
Madagascar's COVID-Organics: testimonies and medical caution...
19.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Madagascar’s COVID-Organics: testimonies and medical caution
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOTyhWWEeeA
Source snippet
A concoction of herbs will cure COVID-19? Coronavirus fact vs. fiction...
20.
Source: youtube.com
Title: A concoction of herbs will cure COVID-19? Coronavirus fact vs. fiction
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYW32x91foQ
Source snippet
what happened to the madagascar covid organics?...
21.
Source: youtube.com
Title: what happened to the madagascar covid organics?
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqUP8TrwaYo
Source snippet
COVID-Organics: Madagascar donates 'cure mixture' to Equatorial Guinea...
22.
Source: factly.in
Link:https://factly.in/madagascars-president-did-not-accuse-who-of-offering-20-million-to-poison-a-local-covid-19-treatment/
23.
Source: reuters.com
Title: madagascan presidents ex aide guilty offering mining licence bribes 2024 02 20
Link:https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/madagascan-presidents-ex-aide-guilty-offering-mining-licence-bribes-2024-02-20/
24.
Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9758394/
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