# E-DRUG: malaria drugs **URL:** \ **Category:** e-drug\ **Created:** [August 24, 1999, 7:39pm UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-malaria-drugs/5843 "1999-08-24T19:39:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ruzangi\_peter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/74df32/32.png) [@ruzangi\_peter](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/ruzangi_peter)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 1999, 7:39pm UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-malaria-drugs/5843/1 "1999-08-24T19:39:40Z")
E-drug: malaria drugs --------------------- WHY CHROLOQUINE AND ANTIBIOTICS FOR MALARIA? Malaria is transmitted by female anopheline mosquitoes four species of Plasmodium infect human Plasmodium vivax, P.ovale and P.Malariae. Inspite of Decades of efforts Malaria continue to rank as one of the foremost infectious global disease. It remain a major public health problem in tropical and Sub tropical areas of the world. The Disease threatens two fifth of the world's population and globally, it is estimated that there are about 300-500 million cases of Malarias per year. The Exact frequency of Malaria related Mortality is Virtually unknown largely due to a General Under reporting of Death and inaccurate cause of death. However it is estimated that 1.5-3Millions Death Occurs annually (who 1994). The Burden of Malaria falls on the underprivileged inhabitants of under developed countries Being a disease direct related to poverty. Malaria Mobility and mortality were largely reduced by use of antimalaria drugs. Currently there is no effective antimalaria vaccine although the intense efforts made may result into it. Malaria is now increasing primarily due to evaluation of drug resistance in P.falciparum malaria          Current malaria treatment is becoming so complicated and undefined. The combination of chloroquine with other drugs has become an issue after resistance become a key issue. Many doctors have developed a simple and shortcut solution to solve this simply chloroquine and antibiotics. It is used in this way due to claim that chloroquine and antibiotics example tetracycline, Cotrimaxazole act synegistically. This facts has partially shown some successfull. In most cases chloroquine and cotrimaxazole which is the combination used frequently has proved fail to almost 90%.        If this brings sense why don't research and scientists let us be aware what is the treatment regime how this combination will act on plasmodium ( malaria parasite), side effect, adverse effects, interaction if any. By doing this we have a long list of antibiotics existing in different standard Books and Pharmacopoeia in which a best combination can be extracted. Because in most places I have visited it is insisted that chloroquine resistance can be bypassed by combination with antibiotics but most does not specify which group or particular drug is the best. But as all of us knows we can't use any antibiotic for treatment of any disease as they have different mechanisms of action, differ in wide range of properties and they are not sensitive to all microorganisms    Can we spend our time and think to develop a new substance against plasmodium which is effective to satisfactory degree??. This is possible as there as hundreds of herbal which has not yet being studed but shows very good sign of treatment of malaria only requires time and somebody's commitments to bring them to modern use and establishment their standards    Some people in other side of the world have never used chloroquine or drugs from present standard books or a combination of chloroquine with other drugs. It is not due unavailability although some times economic factor might contribute even though the commodity can be affordable by many still some can't afford but here economic factor is not a point      Turning back to something new which has shown good sign.this will be a long run solution which will result in cheap cost than running to quick solution which will cost the public at the feature   We must remember that drugs being foreign substance to the body and a killer poison its use, properties must be well and detail established. We should not repeat the past experience we should never learn how to use drugs from experience let us all recall the disaster of thalidomide in Africa P.A.Ruzangi P.O.BOX.71647 DAR ES SALAAM TANZANIA-EAST AFRICA Email: bpeterb@hotmail.com [manually added by moderator; WB] [Peter, Malaria is indeed a growing problem. WHO started a new campaign "Roll back malaria" for that reason. What do the Tanzanian Standard treatment Guidelines recommend for chloroquine resistant malaria? In South Africa the second line is the sulfadoxine+pyrimethamine combination. Doxycycline, quinine and other (more expensive drugs) are used in complicated cases. The Tanzanian malaria programme should have some evidence based guidelines. Malaria is not something individual doctors should experiment with, is my view, as lives are at stake. If the parasite is chloroquine resistant, why still give chloroquine plus an antibiotic? Any Tanzanian malaria-specialist among the 1260 E-druggers? WB] -- Send mail for the `E-Drug' conference to `e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'. Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'. For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.