[Kenya] State Phases Out Sulphur-Based Malaria Drugs

from All Africa

Elizabeth Mwai And Ayub Savula
Nairobi

The Government has banned the use of Sulphur-based drugs in the treatment of malaria.

The drugs will be replaced by the artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT), which experts say is more effective against the killer disease.

The Director of Medical Services, Dr James Nyikal, said Sulphur-based drugs (SPs), which have been in use for the past two years, have developed vector resistance. He said the new drugs, scheduled to arrive by mid May, would be available at all Government facilities for free.

Some of the SPs widely used in Kenya include Metakelfin and Fansidar.

"It is worrying to hear that out of every four persons treated, one will not recover or even that 25 out of every 100 persons will not recover," Nyikal said at the Serena Hotel during a media briefing on the campaign against malaria.

Nyikal said the Government had set aside Sh1.5 billion for the purchase of ACT drugs. At least 10,000 health workers will also be trained on the use of ACTs at a cost of Sh150 million.

He, however, said the programme could stall once the Global Funds run out, owing to the low budgetary allocation to the health ministry.

Malaria kills a child every 30 seconds

Malaria is the leading cause of death of children under five years, resulting in an estimated 34,000 deaths annually. More than 22 million people are at risk of infection, 75 per cent of them residing in rural areas. The first ACT the Government will promote is Coartem, manufactured by Novartis pharmaceuticals. Novartis will increase production this year to exceed 100 million treatments.

The company's Medical Co-ordinator, Dr Nathan Mulure, said the increased production would help to curb malaria-related deaths. He said malaria kills a child every 30 seconds in sub Saharan Africa.

Coartem is a highly effective and well-tolerated anti-malarial drug that achieves cure rates of up to 95 per cent even in areas of multi-drug resistance. It is indicated for the treatment of falcirum malaria, the most dangerous form of malaria.

On Wednesday, Mulure said there are 300 to 500 million cases of malaria in the world every year, resulting in more than a million deaths. He said that 90 per cent of these deaths occur in Africa, mostly among young children.

Mulure said malaria accounts for 40 per cent of public health expenditure, and had been estimated to cost Africa more than $12 billion every year.