The import into South Africa of ivermectin, a drug that has made international headlines recently as a so-called “miracle cure” for Covid-19, has been declared illegal by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra).

Ivermectin, which has been used for decades to treat livestock and people infested with parasitic worms, was hailed as a revolutionary drug in the 1980s and works by paralysing and killing parasites.

In a statement, Sahpra chief executive Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela said: “Our stance is unambiguous. This drug is not approved by Sahpra and any attempt to import it into the country will be dealt with by Sahpra’s regulatory compliance unit in conjunction with law enforcement agencies such as the SAPS and the SIU.”

Semete-Makokotlela said: “If any member of the public is aware of such transgressions, please contact Deon Poovan, senior manager of Sahpra’s Inspectorate and Regulatory Compliance on deon.poovan@sahpra.org.za”