Uganda to launch malaria treatment
Jul 19, 2005
UGANDA will soon launch a new stronger anti-malaria drug combination to replace the Chloroquine+Fansidar, which has become weaker as the first-line treatment of plasmodium falciparum, the most common type of malaria parasite.
By Denis Ocwich
UGANDA will soon launch a new stronger anti-malaria drug combination to replace the Chloroquine+Fansidar, which has become weaker as the first-line treatment of plasmodium falciparum, the most common type of malaria parasite.
Speaking at a public dialogue at Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala recently, Dr John Bosco Rwakimari, the programme manager of National Malaria Control Programme, said the new artemisinin-based combination therapy , artemether-lumefantrine, has been approved and pre-packed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to the World Malaria Report 2005, over 12 million cases of malaria were recorded in 2003 throughout the country. The annual cases of malaria have increased five-fold over the last 10 years.
Rwakimari, however, said the new drug, which is already available in pharmacies, is too expensive. A dose of the new drug costs sh20,000 while chloroquine and fansidar cost sh2,000.
“With money from the Global Fund, artemether-lumefantrine will be availed free of charge through the same system Chloroquine+Fansidar was being distributed in about four months’ time,†he said.
Recent reports indicate resistance and recurrence of malaria after the recommended doses of Chloroquine+Fansidar.
“In some districts, resistance is more than 60%. The national average of resistance is 11.7%,†Rwakimari said.
“We believe the six-dose regimen of artemether-lumefantrine is a promising anti-malarial therapy in Uganda and other African countries,†says an article in the April 23 issue of the UK-based medical journal The Lancet. Lead author of the study, Theonest Mutabingwa from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said, “We found that the artemether-lumefantrine combination is effective even when taken unsupervised.â€
Malaria has progressively become the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Uganda. Rwakimari says malaria kills over 120,000 people in the country every year, mostly children under five years, pregnant women and displaced people living in camps.
He attributes drug resistance to low immunity, abuse of dosage and late reporting for treatment. The most affected districts are: Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Kabarole, Kabale, Kamwenge and Kanungu. Others are Kapchorwa, Kasese, Kibaale, Kisoro, Mbale, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Rukungiri and Sironko.
“The growing resistance of malaria to chloroquine, amodiaquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine led to the WHO’s decision to recommend artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate plus amodiaquine, or artesunate plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine as first-line treatment of malaria in regions with a high rate of drug resistance,†The Lancet reported.
In the meantime, a quinine injection continues to be useful for treating severe cases.
Fansidar remains the recommended medicine for preventive treatment for pregnant women.
Ends
UGANDA will soon launch a new stronger anti-malaria drug combination to replace the Chloroquine+Fansidar, which has become weaker as the first-line treatment of plasmodium falciparum, the most common type of malaria parasite.
Speaking at a public dialogue at Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala recently, Dr John Bosco Rwakimari, the programme manager of National Malaria Control Programme, said the new artemisinin-based combination therapy , artemether-lumefantrine, has been approved and pre-packed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to the World Malaria Report 2005, over 12 million cases of malaria were recorded in 2003 throughout the country. The annual cases of malaria have increased five-fold over the last 10 years.
Rwakimari, however, said the new drug, which is already available in pharmacies, is too expensive. A dose of the new drug costs sh20,000 while chloroquine and fansidar cost sh2,000.
“With money from the Global Fund, artemether-lumefantrine will be availed free of charge through the same system Chloroquine+Fansidar was being distributed in about four months’ time,†he said.
Recent reports indicate resistance and recurrence of malaria after the recommended doses of Chloroquine+Fansidar.
“In some districts, resistance is more than 60%. The national average of resistance is 11.7%,†Rwakimari said.
“We believe the six-dose regimen of artemether-lumefantrine is a promising anti-malarial therapy in Uganda and other African countries,†says an article in the April 23 issue of the UK-based medical journal The Lancet. Lead author of the study, Theonest Mutabingwa from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said, “We found that the artemether-lumefantrine combination is effective even when taken unsupervised.â€
Malaria has progressively become the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Uganda. Rwakimari says malaria kills over 120,000 people in the country every year, mostly children under five years, pregnant women and displaced people living in camps.
He attributes drug resistance to low immunity, abuse of dosage and late reporting for treatment. The most affected districts are: Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Kabarole, Kabale, Kamwenge and Kanungu. Others are Kapchorwa, Kasese, Kibaale, Kisoro, Mbale, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Rukungiri and Sironko.
“The growing resistance of malaria to chloroquine, amodiaquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine led to the WHO’s decision to recommend artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate plus amodiaquine, or artesunate plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine as first-line treatment of malaria in regions with a high rate of drug resistance,†The Lancet reported.
In the meantime, a quinine injection continues to be useful for treating severe cases.
Fansidar remains the recommended medicine for preventive treatment for pregnant women.
Ends