Chloroquine, Artesunate, Others Thrive In Nigeria, 2 years After WHO Ban

Nigerian markets are still flooded with anti-malaria drugs such as Chloroquine, Artesunate, Sulphadoxine pyremethamine among others, two years after they were banned by World Health Organization (WHO) for being used for the treatment of malaria.

The global health agency had in 2011 banned the drugs from being prescribed for the treatment of the disease “in order to delay or prevent the development of drug resistance malaria”.

WHO says treatments that use only artemisin need to be taken for seven days to kill all parasites, but, according to the agency, patients often stop treatment after a few days when they begin to feel much better. This, it stresses, leaves the remaining parasites in contact with low levels of the drug – a recipe for resistance. Hence, it recommends the use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACTs) which are to be taken within three days.

Conveying the message to journalists in Lagos, former WHO Country Representative, Dr David Okello said: “WHO has recommended the ban of the production, importation and prescription of artemisinin monotherapies. It has also launched a global plan to contain or control the spread of arteminsinin-resistant malaria. There is no place for the use of Chloroquine and sulphadoxine pyremethamino in the treatment of malaria in Nigeria. Artesunate alone cannot treat malaria. Sulphadoxine pyremethamine are no longer recommended in the treatment of malaria.”

National Mirror investigations revealed that some or all of these drugs are still on sale in virtually every chemist shop across the country and are taken by Nigerians who are affected by malaria, even as over 97 of the country’s population, according to the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, are at risk of having malaria.

National Mirror observations also showed that many people affected by the disease do not consult physicians but are fond of self-prescription and treatment.

Nigeria currently contributes 25 global burden of malaria while the disease is responsible for 30 percent of under-five mortality and 11 percent of maternal mortality. It is estimated that malaria costs Nigeria N450billion in terms of money spent on treatment and prevention taken by individuals and families, yearly.

Meanwhile, Director General, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii recently, in Abuja, told our reporter that “until the decision is approved by the National Council on Health (NCH), WHO it will be difficult to enforce the ban. National Council on Health has to ratify the decision before it can be operational in Nigeria,” he said. He stated that government was carrying out different studies to know the extent of ineffectiveness or otherwise of the drugs. He added that “NAFDAC is just an implementing agency. Until the Council takes a decision on it, it will be difficult for NAFDAC to enforce it, he said.”

National Council on Health meets yearly, and has met twice since the international health agency ordered the ban.

Culled from Nationalmirroronline