E-DRUG: Leishmaniasis (Kala-Azar) treatment
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Dear e-Druggers
There are about 1.5 million cases of cutaneous Leishmaniasis (Kala-Azar) each year worldwide, with the bulk reported from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Peru, and Pakistan. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Leishmaniasis is endemic in 88 countries, with a total of 350 million people at risk. It is believed that worldwide 12 million people are affected by Leishmaniasis.
Leishmaniasis (Kala-Azar) is very prevalent in Pakistan and has been reported from all the provinces and almost all the major cities. It is endemic at Balochistan, Interior Sindh, and Multan where sanitation conditions are worst.
Meglumine antimonate and sodium stibogluconate are the most effective and recommended drug to treat Leishmaniasis but unfortunately these are the drugs that are not available in Pakistan. There is only one brand in the form of combination (per ml sodium and meglumine diatrizoate in the ratio of 10:66 in aqueous solution 100ml) manufactured by Schering Asia.
Smuggled injections via Iran are available at the price of Rs.70/ampule and almost 30 injections are required to treat it, but consequently this disease is common in those people who can't afford this treatment, they are the people earning 1-2 hundred rupees daily.
1. Can any body tell me about availability of any other brand of these two salts?
2. Is the formulation by Schering (stated above) equally effective?
regards
Mian Imran Masood
Assistant Coordinator Pharmaceuticals
Advocacy and Research Unit
The Network for Consumer Protection
Islamabad-Pakistan.
Email: drimranmasood@gmail.com
[There is a difference between visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis.
MSF is working a lot on leishmaniasis; see their factsheet at http://www.accessmed-msf.org/documents/kalaazarfactsheet.pdf
DNDI is looking for better treatments: see http://www.dndi.org/cms/public_html/images/article/284/DNDiRDStrategyMay2004.pdf
WHO/TDR fact sheet: http://www.who.int/tdr/diseases/leish/files/direction.pdf
WB]