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New Malaria Treatment Drugs in Kenya
Unicef joins Kenya in war on malaria
Story by NATION Correspondent Publication Date: 04/24/2004 A UN agency will support the Government's efforts to introduce more powerful drugs to fight malaria. Unicef country representative Heino Laakkonen said his organisation would stockpile more powerful drugs following the change in the malaria treatment policy. Malaria kills about 34,000 children aged under five every year. Speaking during the Africa Malaria Day in Kimbimbi sub-district hospital, Kirinyaga District, yesterday, Health minister Charity Ngilu announced that the Government had replaced Sulphadoxine Pyrimethaine drugs with the more powerful artemisinin-class combination therapy also known as ACT. Kenya would now adopt artemether/lumefantrine (brand name Coartem) as the first line malaria treatment drug. It is manufactured by the Swiss-based Norvatis Pharma. Yesterday, Mr Laakkonen said: "Once funds are available, Unicef will stockpile this drug for use in emergency situations as the country makes the transition to this drug for routine use." The move to change the country's malaria treatment policy comes after failure of Sulphadoxine Pyrimethaine -based drugs to effectively treat the disease. Sulpha-based drugs such as Metakelfin, Orodar and Fansidar were introduced as the first line treatment drugs barely four years ago to replace choloroquine-based ones. In the transition period, Amodiaquin could be administered to the public as the second line treatment. By changing the policy, Kenya has joined South Africa, Burundi, Zanzibar and Zambia, among other countries, which have adopted ACT in the treatment. The disease mainly affects children under five and pregnant women. At the same time, more than 16,000 pregnant women are likely to develop severe anaemia, while 25,000 may deliver low birth weight babies due to the disease. This year's Africa Malaria Day had the theme: "A malaria free future". According to a press statement, Unicef recently contributed supplies worth Sh31 million towards malaria intervention in Kenya. "This includes 98,000 insecticide treatment bednets and other supplies for use in malaria endemic areas,". Meanwhile, three organisations yesterday signed a collaborative agreement to develop a new fixed dose ACT, combining chlorproguanil, dapsone and artesunate (CDA) for the treatment of malaria. The agreement was signed by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines for Malaria Venture and the World Health Organisation's special programme for research and training in tropical diseases (WHO-TDR). According to a statement, the development of CDA responds to the WHO's Roll Back Malaria Initiative recommendations for national malaria control programmes to use artemisinin-based combination therapy as the preferred treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- The Artemesinin based drugs as a treatment for malaria, particularly in East Africa, has been discussed on this NG before but the above report shows that it has now become necessary to use them in place of other drugs. I have spoken to residents of Kenya who have had success with these drugs for some time now. Pat -- Pat Anderson |
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New Malaria Treatment Drugs in Kenya
On Saturday, April 24, 2004 3:39:37 PM UTC+5:30, Pat Anderson wrote:
Unicef joins Kenya in war on malaria Story by NATION Correspondent Publication Date: 04/24/2004 A UN agency will support the Government's efforts to introduce more powerful drugs to fight malaria. Unicef country representative Heino Laakkonen said his organisation would stockpile more powerful drugs following the change in the malaria treatment policy. Malaria kills about 34,000 children aged under five every year. Speaking during the Africa Malaria Day in Kimbimbi sub-district hospital, Kirinyaga District, yesterday, Health minister Charity Ngilu announced that the Government had replaced Sulphadoxine Pyrimethaine drugs with the more powerful artemisinin-class combination therapy also known as ACT. Kenya would now adopt artemether/lumefantrine (brand name Coartem) as the first line malaria treatment drug. It is manufactured by the Swiss-based Norvatis Pharma. Yesterday, Mr Laakkonen said: "Once funds are available, Unicef will stockpile this drug for use in emergency situations as the country makes the transition to this drug for routine use." The move to change the country's malaria treatment policy comes after failure of Sulphadoxine Pyrimethaine -based drugs to effectively treat the disease. Sulpha-based drugs such as Metakelfin, Orodar and Fansidar were introduced as the first line treatment drugs barely four years ago to replace choloroquine-based ones. In the transition period, Amodiaquin could be administered to the public as the second line treatment. By changing the policy, Kenya has joined South Africa, Burundi, Zanzibar and Zambia, among other countries, which have adopted ACT in the treatment. The disease mainly affects children under five and pregnant women. At the same time, more than 16,000 pregnant women are likely to develop severe anaemia, while 25,000 may deliver low birth weight babies due to the disease. This year's Africa Malaria Day had the theme: "A malaria free future". According to a press statement, Unicef recently contributed supplies worth Sh31 million towards malaria intervention in Kenya. "This includes 98,000 insecticide treatment bednets and other supplies for use in malaria endemic areas,". Meanwhile, three organisations yesterday signed a collaborative agreement to develop a new fixed dose ACT, combining chlorproguanil, dapsone and artesunate (CDA) for the treatment of malaria. The agreement was signed by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines for Malaria Venture and the World Health Organisation's special programme for research and training in tropical diseases (WHO-TDR). According to a statement, the development of CDA responds to the WHO's Roll Back Malaria Initiative recommendations for national malaria control programmes to use artemisinin-based combination therapy as the preferred treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- The Artemesinin based drugs as a treatment for malaria, particularly in East Africa, has been discussed on this NG before but the above report shows that it has now become necessary to use them in place of other drugs. I have spoken to residents of Kenya who have had success with these drugs for some time now. Pat -- Pat Anderson Malaria is treated with antimalarial drugs and measures to control symptoms, including medications to control fever, antiseizure medications when needed, fluids and electrolytes. View more about treatment of malaria at - http://www.onlymyhealth.com/what-tre...ia-12977611766 |
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