The National Malaria Eradication Program (NMEP) of the Federal Ministry of Health says artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is recommended for the treatment of malaria in Nigeria.
The Director of Programs at NMEP, Mr. Udi Tanko, disclosed this in a presentation at a press conference in Abuja on Friday.
The title of the lecture was “Effective Malaria Case Management and Appropriate Use of Malaria Drugs.”
She listed artemether lumefantrine (AL), artesunate amodiaquine (AA), dihydroartemisinin piperaquine (DHP), and artesunate pyronaridine (PA) as drugs of choice for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. I did.
Tanko explained that the drug is available in different dosage combinations with the aim of quickly curing the disease and preventing its progression.
“ACT is the recommended treatment for uncomplicated malaria around the world.
“If the patient does not respond after a few days, reconsider the diagnosis and dosage and further investigate for other illnesses.”
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She cited the benefits of ACT, arguing that two or more drugs attack the parasite from different sites, slowing the development of resistance.
He added that combination therapy can increase and sustain efficacy and improve treatment outcomes by clearing out residual parasites.
However, the NMEP program director defined monotherapy as the use of only one antimalarial drug to treat malaria and warned that the use of monotherapy is prohibited.
She said most such treatments consisted of injections of artesunate and artemether, chloroquine, and sulfadoxine pyrimethamine (SP).
“Monotherapy is not recommended for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria and cannot cure malaria.”
Chloroquine and SP are failed drugs, she said, while artesunate and artemether injections only last in the body for 30 minutes to an hour or two.
She pointed out that both drugs attack malaria parasites quickly, but don’t have the staying power to wipe out any remaining parasites in the body.
People who participated in the event
“Using monotherapy to treat uncomplicated malaria is an abuse,” she said.
Ms. Tanko cited the risks of using monotherapy, including incomplete cure, increased disease severity, and development of drug resistance.
Earlier, NMEP National Coordinator Godwin Ntadom spoke about the importance of effective environmental sanitation to eradicate malaria.
Mr. Ntadom clarified the gray areas regarding the diagnosis and treatment of malaria, corroborating Mr. Tanko’s announcement that malaria cannot be diagnosed based on the assessment of signs and symptoms performed.
“Diagnosis requires laboratory confirmation of clinical suspicion,” he said.
He added that all suspected cases of malaria should be tested.
Also read: How the government can decisively fight the malaria epidemic in Nigeria – Don
Tolulope Fagbemi, NMEP’s Deputy Director for Monitoring, Monitoring and Evaluation, stressed on keeping the environment clean and removing brush that promotes vector development.
“Aside from that, women whose children start running a fever should have their children tested and receive appropriate treatment,” he said.
He added that pregnant women should attend antenatal care early and that it is important to sleep under a net.
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