FACT CHECK: Baba Ramdev's Coronil does NOT have WHO recognition

The World Health Organisation has punched a hole into yoga guru Baba Ramdev's claim that his alleged Coronavirus cure Coronil has been recognised as a medicine for COVID-19 by the global health body.

Hours after Ramdev's claim went viral, the WHO South-East Asia region issued a statement clarifying that the WHO has not reviewed or certified the effectiveness of any traditional medicine for the treatment COVID19.

 

 

In interviews given to multiple news channels, Ramdev claiming that the WHO team visited the manufacturing facility and examined the research data. He even stated that the WHO had granted his company license to sell the 'medication' in 150 countries.

Ramdev claimed that Indian drug regulators had initially given his firm license for immuno-booster, but now they have given Coronil license as a Covid medicine.

 

 

In another interview with News 18 Hindi, Ramdev claimed that Coronil had 99 per efficacy.

But with the WHO putting out a statement, a red-faced Patanjali Ayurved Ltd MD Acharya Balkrishna was forced to issue a clarification saying that the company's WHO Good Manufacturing Practice-compliant Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product certificate to Coronil was issued by the Drugs Controller General of India.

 

 

Balkrishna also declared that WHO does not approve or disapprove any drugs.

What is the GMP after all?

According to the WHO website, Good Manufacturing Practices is a quality assurance that makes sure that medicinal products meet the quality standards appropriate to their intended use.

"The WHO GMP is a basis for the WHO Certification Scheme and prequalification of vaccines for procurement by UN agencies. The measures ensure that the processes necessary for production and testing are clearly defined, validated, reviewed, and documented and that the personnel, premises and materials are suitable for the production of pharmaceuticals and biologicals including vaccines," the WHO website states.

The WHO also clarifies on the subject of Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product with regard to whether certification can be issued by the Member States bearing the WHO emblem or the acronym 'WHO'

 

The WHO reiterates that certificates should not bear the WHO emblem or the acronym 'WHO'. The use of the emblem or acronym creates the impression that the certificate is issued or endorsed by WHO. 

"It is an illegal act and countries receiving such CPPs should reject them and report to WHO," the global body states.