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Ministry curbs use of malaria medicine
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 07 July 2007 06:23
Director of Medical Services Richard Muga said the ministry degazetted chloroquin in November last year as a first line treatment for malaria.
Earlier, Public Health Minister Sam Ongeri had implied that the drug had been banned. But Dr Muga clarified that chloroquin "had not been banned".
Prof Ongeri said: "It is illegal for shopkeepers and other drug outlets to continue selling chloroquin without a doctor's prescription."
Prof Ongeri added that the drug was no longer effective in the treatment and control of malaria.
"Chloroquin, which has been readily available over the counter for many years, has been widely abused, leading to its ineffectiveness," he explained.
"Studies show that it cures only 30 per cent of patients while the rest (70 per cent) develop resistance to the killer tropical scourge," he added.
The minister said instead of chloroquin, Sulphadoxine (sulfa/pyrimethamine) drugs have been recommended by the ministry as the first line treatment for malaria.
The drugs include Fansidar, Metakelfine, Orodor and Falcidin.
Prof Ongeri and Dr Muga were addressing members of the 5th National Malaria Coordinating Committee during a workshop held at Capitol Hill Towers, Nairobi.
The committee comprises officials from the Health ministry, World Health Organisation, Unicef, Jica, Department for International Development (DfID) and Kemri. A malaria expert, Dr Beth Rapuoda, said the disease accounts for 30 per cent of all out-patient cases and 19 per cent of all admissions, 5.1 per cent of whom die.
"With 107 for every 1,000 children aged below five dying of malaria annually, the disease places a heavy burden on our health system," she said.
This, the expert added, translated to 72 children dying daily before the age of five.
Experts say malaria claims 2.7 million lives in the world annually, while 300 to 500 million people contract the disease worldwide in the same period. It accounts for 10 per cent of the disease burden in Africa, they add.
Prof Ongeri said he would embark on a countrywide tour of the "malaria epidemic belt" starting tomorrow (Thursday) to ensure that preventive measures against the disease were in place before the onset of the long rains.
The minister said he would visit malaria-prone areas of Kilifi, Baringo, Kisii, Nyamira, Nandi, Gucha, Trans Mara and Kericho.
The minister said the Health ministry has allocated Sh320 million for procurement of drugs.
Prof Ongeri added: "As the malaria problem becomes more complex, I'm happy to note that the National Malaria Plan of Action for 2000-2001 has addressed several areas pertaining to the disease,".
These areas, he said, include:
*Case management both at the community and health facility levels;
*Epidemic preparedness and control;
*Monitoring of drugs sensitivity and vector susceptibility;
*Disease Surveillance;
*Health education and public information and
*Promotion of insecticide treated nets.
The minister also thanked DfID for disbursing Pounds170,000(about Sh198 million) towards the construction of a building to house the entire Malaria Control Unit in Nairobi.
