Malawi welcomes new malaria drug tests
Ministry of Health (MoH) says an on-trial malaria drug DHA/PQA has potential to help the country register gains in the fight against malaria, one of the major killer diseases.
MoH director of preventive health services Storn Kabuluzi made the remarks in Lilongwe yesterday during a scientific lecture on the new drug known as dihydroatemisnin piperaquine, in short DHA/PQA, organised by manufacturer Gullin Pharmaceuticals.
He said government was excited to be part of the lecture with over 380 malaria cases per 1 000 population and 3 000 deaths per year.
Kabuluzi, who said the DHA/PQA was pre-qualified by World Health Organisation, described the drug as a long-term option to the current drugs being used in the fight against malaria.
Gullin Pharmaceutical chief medical officer Jean-Marc Bouchez said the drug has a high level of efficacy with a second drug having the ability to stop usual relapses in patients.
He said: “The shelf life of the second drug is very long compared to others. A lot of clinical studies involving an average over ten thousand people mostly in East Africa and southern Africa, including Kenya and Uganda and the level of resistance and patients profile have been very impressive.” n
what if there will be some complication or effects to the people being tried ? have asked them ? or zawo izo paja malawi as asual.. doesnt care about the poor