E-drug: Prices of antimalarial combinations (cont'd)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would suggest that you contact Novartis to see if you can access
their really cheap co-artemether (artemether plus benflumetol - now
renamed lumefantrine). They are running a programme with WHO to
provide co-artemether at cost price.
The pricing works out at US$2,00 per course.
I would certainly avoid sulphadoxine and pyrimethamine as high
levels of resistance are reported from various regions in southern
Africa (up to 60% in Kwa-Zulu-Natal). Cross resistance between the
chlorproguanil and dapsone combination(lap-dap) and the
pyrimethamine and dapsone combination (Fansidar) is quite likely
too.
Amodiaquine is associated with significant and potentially fatal
toxicity. Its use in developed countries would be unthinkable, and I
think the same should apply to developing countries too.
My recommendation would be the choice of co-artemether if you
can obtain it at preferential pricing from Novartis.
Dr Stephen Toovey
SAA-Netcare Travel Clinics
P O Box 786692
Sandton 2146, South Africa
Fax: +27-11-883-6152
e-mail: toovey@travelclinic.co.za
http://www.travelclinic.co.za
http://www.malaria.co.za
--
Send mail for the `E-Drug' conference to `e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.
Information and archive http://satellife.healthnet.org/programs/edrug.html
Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'.
For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.