The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday announced a temporary suspension of the trial of hydroxychloroquine for treatment of coronavirus patient.

Making the announcement during its media briefing at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, The WHO said the suspension of the trial was due to a higher mortality rate among patients receiving the drug.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who confirmed in a virtual press conference that the WHO-backed trials had been suspended while the safety is reviewed, also revealed that the decision came after the publication last week of a study in the Lancet indicating that the use of the drug on COVID-19 patients could increase their likelihood of dying.

“It’s important to continue to gather evidence on the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine.

“We want to use it if it’s safe and efficacious, reduces mortality, reduces the length of hospitalization without increasing adverse events,” WHO Chief Scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, added at the press briefing in Geneva.