E-drug: MSF press release: malaria treatment (cont)
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Recrudescence is major problem unless seven days of artemesinins is given.
Compliance failure leads not only to treatment failure, but also to risk of
resistance against artemesinins. If we lose the artemesinins we are in real
trouble - there is nothing else coming soon to replace them.
We have been using co-artemether (combined artemether-lumefantrine) in
Mozambique and have had a 100% cure rate thus far. We have used it to treat
uncomplicated falciparum malaria in non-immunes and semi-immunes.
Monotherapy with artemesinin (or indeed any antimalarial) is now considered
by many to represent unacceptable risks.
I recently asked the manufacturer why a paediatric formulation was not
available. It is apparently in development. The tablets can be given to
children with a little condensed milk or similar to aid absorption and
disguise the taste.
Dr Stephen Toovey
SAA-Netcare Travel Clinics
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene certified in Clinical
Tropical Medicine and Travellers' Health,
Aviation Medical Examiner
toovey@travelclinic.co.za
http://www.travelclinic.co.za
http://www.malaria.co.za
P O Box 786692
Sandton
2146
South Africa
Fax: +27-11-883-6152
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